


Heart Without A Home

by Snowy38



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, Larry Stylinson - Fandom, Louis Tomlinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Betrayal, Fighting, Fluff, Homeless Harry, Homeless Louis, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Journalism, M/M, handjob
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 15:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3493760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy38/pseuds/Snowy38
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is staying at the shelter when a late entry pulls at his conscience and he decides to share his precious bed with the mysterious Harry. The pair somehow find an instant bond but Louis can't help but feel Harry is hiding something...</p><p>Featuring Zayn as a chef, Perrie as the shelter manager and Liam as a helper- and Louis' best mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart Without A Home

 

 

 

He was late in.

 

Louis watched in the darkened room while the tall late incomer spoke softly with the night-guard and then Perrie- the night shelter manager came over to intervene.

 

Louis could read her body-language even from ten feet away.

 

_I'm so sorry. If you'd been here an hour ago..._

 

Louis sat up a bit, propping on his elbow. He slipped the ear-plugs from his ears so he could hear. He only wore them because otherwise he wouldn't sleep among the sounds of fifty stragglers shifting and coughing and moaning mysteriously through the night.

 

Luckily tonight it smelled good in here, normally he got put by a smelly old drunk and tried hard not to wretch but tonight he had his own double floor mattress and the best duvet. He'd earned it, he'd come in with frozen fingers and toes that would no doubt boast chill-blanes tomorrow.

 

He zeroed in on the tall vagabond. He had a navy beanie pulled haphazardly onto his head, a grey jumper that had definitely seen better days and gaped off wide shoulders that a black t-shirt covered and his jeans were ripped and torn. His boots looked so well-worn that Louis felt like offering his own only he knew his own feet would be much smaller than this guys.

 

Louis hit 5'10" if he was lucky., This guy looked to be 6'1" at least.

 

"Please...I've nowhere else to go...I know I'm late..."

 

Louis bit at his lip, hearing the desperate husk of the newcomer's pleading words.

 

"I'm reet sorry pet but we're all done for tha night," Perrie told him in her broad Geordie accent, face creasing like she was about to cry and Louis wouldn't put it past her to be honest.

 

She'd burst into tears when he'd taken his shoes off and shown her the mess of his feet. This long-haired wanderer would be a prime trigger for Perrie's caring nature.

 

His hair came to just past his shoulder, curly and straggled. Louis wondered if he was clean, if he smelled nice. He sighed. Only one way to find out.

 

He hopped out of his bed, wincing as his sore feet protested on movement but he carefully picked his way across the bed-littered floor toward the entrance.

 

"Uhm...Pez..." Louis coughed softly, avoiding the gaze of the newcomer.

 

"Oh, hey, Lou, what's up? Your toes hurt?" Perrie turned her big soulful blue eyes to him and Louis smiled a little.

 

"No...I was just going to say...well I've got a double and there's room if-" Louis swallowed, flicking a look at the tall guy. "Well depends if you mind sharing," Louis added to the young guy, looked to be about twenty if Louis guessed correctly.

 

He swallowed hard as the gaze of the newcomer settled on him, bowed lips pouting just slightly as if he wanted to say something, he just didn't know what. And he had this straight nose and gorgeous jaw line and cheeks that were made for shaving adverts...but his lashes were kind of curly and his eyes were hazelly green and Louis was bemused at the way he was looking at him.

 

"It's up to you," he added, to prompt something to happen here since he wanted to get back under the warmth of the duvet as soon as possible. His time with that duvet was limited and he wanted to make the most of it.

 

"Harry, pet, what do you think?" Perrie aimed toward the tall guy.

 

Louis looked from Perrie back to him. _Harry_. Such a posh name. Such an ugly old jumper. Louis had a few clothes with him that he'd managed to snatch before it was too late and he tried to pride himself on not looking like a bum but Harry...well Harry looked kind of lost and hopeless and his drawstring bag looked kind of thin.

 

Louis was tempted to lean toward him to fetch a sniff just to make sure he wasn't letting himself in for another sleepless night but actually, if he couldn't smell Harry from two feet he was certain nothing too bad could happen after that.

 

"Are you sure you don't mind sharing?" Harry finally spoke.

 

And-

 

He had this deep voice, husky timbre and-

 

Louis smiled.

 

"I don't mind," he said.

 

Harry flicked a look to Perrie with a bit of a frown.

 

"Will it be okay for breakfast?" He asked.

 

Louis kind of wanted to hug him then. Despite his own hunger issues and lack of permanent residence, something about hearing such a beautiful-looking boy express his need to eat was heart-breaking.

 

Perrie assured Harry there'd be plenty of food and Louis led him back through the sea of sleepers to his double, quickly curling back under the duvet while he waited for Harry to hunker down.

 

He smelled incredible. It was kind of off-putting for completely different reasons than the stale-sour smell of body odour or urine. And it was weird. How did Harry keep so clean, Louis wondered?

 

"You smell nice," he whispered, once Harry was under the duvet and facing him.

 

Harry had been arranging the cover over his long body when he looked over.

 

"Oh...I washed today," Harry offered. "I wash everyday," he added.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"Me, too."

 

Harry actually smiled, small and furtive.

 

"You smell nice, too..."

 

Louis found himself smiling back.

 

"The only two homeless guys not to stink to high-heavens," Louis mused.

 

"Hey!" One of the old drunks- George yelled in complaint.

 

Louis snickered.

 

"And you, Georgie!" He added quickly.

 

Harry was biting his lower lip.

 

"What's your name?" He asked and Louis realised he hadn't given it, yet. Perrie had called him Lou but Harry probably didn't feel comfortable to assume.

 

"Louis," he provided softly. "Louis Tomlinson."

 

"Harry Styles," Harry offered quickly back. "Thank you for letting me share."

 

"Well, no funny business, okay?" Louis teased with a smirk.

 

Harry wouldn't even know that Louis was gay. He was probably more at risk of Louis doing funny business than the other way around. Louis wondered why a guy like Harry didn't have a beautiful girl to share a bed with.

 

"Same goes for you," Harry mumbled, closing his eyes as he snuggled down and-

 

Well, was he...?

 

Louis frowned, letting out a breath of curious frustration. He might never know.

 

//

 

The thing about getting by day to day without a permanent base, a place to call home, was that it could get really lonely.

 

And Louis had been doing this for about eight months now, dancing in every park in London to raise enough money to live on, to save for his own place but if he had enough to eat then he considered himself lucky.

 

It wasn't exactly his life-plan, wasn't something he ever imagined he'd have to deal with, the endless hours of nothing. Sitting on benches unowned. Sitting in corners with commuters casting dirty glances his way. Sleeping in shop doorways and getting kicked out. Or worse, sleeping on cardboard boxes on the ground in the rain and sleet and what would soon be snow.

 

The Shelter here was a saving grace. He felt a lot less lonely with these people. Perrie was a god-send and her fiancé Zayn was a master-chef serving some of the best food Louis had ever eaten.

 

And so when he stirred in the pitch-black of night he shouldn't have been surprised really at the turn of events. He was cuddled into Harry's front, seeking warmth probably and since Harry felt like a bloody furnace he could hardly blame his sub-conscious for that move but-

 

Well, it seemed he was seeking something else too and Harry was...kind of giving it? His arms were around Louis, shoulder on the floor side and waist on the duvet-side. And Louis liked it. He liked it a lot. He liked being tucked into a chest, liked having a throat to imagine nuzzling into and liked the cheap smell of citrus soap that came from council toilets.

 

He closed his eyes, sighing out, breath expelling onto Harry's throat. He was letting himself be held and he didn't want to think about why.

 

//

 

If he had thought Harry would be gone in the morning then he would have been wrong. Louis saw him helping Zayn serve as he sat up to look around, frowning slightly at the new picture Harry made today.

 

He was wearing a clean white t-shirt and some new jeans and a glance to the corner told him Perrie had brought in the clothes-bank trawl for them to sort through and he could already see a gang of bickering vagrants fighting over shoes and coats.

 

Harry's long hair was captured high on the back of his head in a ponytail that was short enough to stick out and curl sweetly over his hair-band. His skin was so pale and clear that Louis wondered how he stayed so good-looking.

 

His own fairly-decent looks had been marred by a lack of nutrition and regular warmth and he grasped his favourite green parka jacket protectively to his body as ranging bodies sniffed out free clothing.

 

He eased up, checking his feet, deciding to go shoeless for now but he tied his sneakers to his rucksack and stuffed his coat into it, slinging it onto his shoulder as he came over to the breakfast bar.

 

Harry smiled on seeing him awake.

 

"Louis!" He greeted, lifting up a ladle to show he was dishing up scrambled eggs.

 

"You eating with us?" Louis checked before approving his breakfast.

 

Harry darted a look to the guy beside him, a guy Louis knew to be called Liam- a quiet but dependable man with a heart of gold. If Louis could pick one person to adopt him, it would be Liam.

 

"Go sit with our Lou," Liam winked to Harry. "I'll double-dish..."

 

Harry nodded and came around the other side of the table to grab a plate.

 

"See you're your usual chipper self, Li," Louis winked.

 

"Only because you're here, Tommo," Liam smiled back, brown eyes warm with fondness for the shorter, blue-eyed guy.

 

Louis rolled his eyes, his own long lashes guarding his eyes as he smirked.

 

"Don't tell everyone they'll all want a piece of me..."

 

Harry laughed out loud at that, stark and abrupt and a few people looked his way. He blushed a little and bit his lip.

 

"Get me a lot of everything, yeah?" Louis told Liam as Harry took bread for him and Louis, sneaking a slice onto Louis' plate with a foil-wrapped butter too.

 

Louis lifted his brows.

 

"You're well trained young Harry," he commended.

 

"I'm twenty," Harry stated, confirming Louis' guess at his age. "Not that young."

 

"How long have you been doing this, though?" Louis wondered, ,moving down the line to gain bacon and sausages.

 

"A while," Harry swallowed, avoiding Louis; gaze.

 

"Ah, one of those," Louis guessed astutely.

 

When Harry frowned at him confusedly he sighed.

 

"One of the 'I don't want to talk about it's," Louis expanded.

 

Harry appeared to think about that for a moment and then nodded vaguely, dipping his chin resolutely.

 

"Yeah. Yeah I guess I am."

 

Louis shrugged.

 

"It's cool with me," he assured, nodding yes to tomatoes and mushrooms and soon Harry had to slide their plates onto a tray to carry since Louis was struggling with the heavy load he'd chosen for breakfast.

 

Louis brought their cups of tea across to the table as Harry slid in beside him, not opposite as Louis expected. He'd kind of wanted to look into those eyes a bit more before Harry disappeared again.

 

But when Harry kind of leaned into his arm to reach for his bread to butter it, Louis kind of forgot about wanting to look into his eyes and tried to work out more urgently how to resist kissing him.

 

Harry warmed the butter between his two palms before spreading it, cutting Louis' slice into two triangles before returning it to the side of his plate, repeating the same process with his own.

 

"Are you for real?" Louis asked himself more than anyone else.

 

Harry looked devastated at being caught, brows high and lips parted ready to spurt a defence.

 

"Amazing," Louis shook his head, dipping his bread into his beans sauce and taking a hefty bite. "Mmm...oh god, this is heaven," Louis moaned, distracted now by his first proper meal since his last stay here two weeks ago.

 

He'd like to come here every night but they had capacity for 200 and Louis felt like other people needed a chance to sleep warm and dry with good food as much as he did so he tried not to be selfish even when Perrie begged him to come back tomorrow, even when Zayn pulled big, dark brown doe eyes on him and told him it was more than okay to stay again.

 

Louis just felt kind of wrong, really, taking up a bed that someone else needed as much as he did.

 

And he did get beat up sometimes, even if he had a fiver in his pocket it was enough to instigate being kicked about but he'd built up a bit of a wall that not many people could penetrate and so it bemused him somewhat that last night he'd curled into Harrys arms without even the slightest protest. His unconscious body and mind had decided for him what he wanted and he gone along with it, too stunned to really argue.

 

And anyway. It had been a while since Louis had been held. By anyone really, and definitely by another man. He'd been nineteen when his dad had kicked him out of the house and his prestigious dance-school tuition had been stopped and he'd found himself out in the cold- literally.

 

None of his high-class friends had cared enough to take him in and he didn't have anyone else, not really. Louis was used to being a single unit, used to being alone. Until now.

 

"You gonna eat that?" Louis was eyeing Harry's rather unloved poached egg.

 

Harry lifted his elbow.

 

"No, go for it..."

 

Even though Louis had just eaten a ladle full of scrambled egg, he had room for all kinds of egg really.

 

"Don't think I'll manage this either," Harry transferred a sausage across with his fork onto Louis' plate, followed by a strip of bacon.

 

Louis looked at him suspiciously.

 

"Big guy like you eats twice what I do," he guessed.

 

Harry shrugged. "Eyes bigger than my stomach..."

 

He tucked into his remaining beans and eggs to evidence that he was finishing what he could. Louis nodded, sipping his tea.

 

"So where do you normally hang out?" Louis enquired, interested really to find out what other guys his age were doing, where they were going.

 

It might be impossible to have a love-life but nobody said he couldn't have friends.

 

"Around," Harry replied and Louis was reminded of his 'don't ask' protocol.

 

"You got any talents?" He wondered.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

"So you don't bother making money?" Louis asked.

 

Harry cleared his throat.

 

"I've been-It's been hard," he said after a thoughtful pause.

 

Louis nodded. The integration into homeless life was the kind of hard-hitting reality that nobody should ever be facing let alone someone like Harry. Louis could already tell he wasn't like the rest of the gang here. He was clean and sober for a start.

 

"You could hang around with me today if you wanted," he offered, brows raised as he sipped from his mug.

 

Harry turned in toward him a bit.

 

"Yeah?"

 

Louis nodded. "I dance a bit around the parks, try to raise a bit of cash..."

 

"That's incredible," Harry murmured.

 

"I wouldn't normally stay here again tonight to give someone else a chance but my dancing kind of relies on my feet and I've got so many chilblains'..."

 

Harry pressed his lips together and his eyes became sad for a moment.

 

"Shall we look in the clothes pile?" He said then, eyes brighter.

 

Louis smiled at him, genuinely taken by Harry's uniqueness.

 

"Alright, curly, you go first," Louis offered. "You can elbow everyone out of the way and I'll burrow in from underneath..."

 

Harry's laughter was the best sound Louis had heard for a long time.

 

//

 

Harry fared well in the clothes bank. Louis did find a few pairs of socks which he quickly snatched up, slapping off a vibrant druggie who would only abuse them for some kind of filter for their meth.

 

Harry was invaluable in holding back the crowd while Louis rummaged so Louis made sure to pull out several jumpers for him and a long black jacket.

 

"No boots," Louis pouted.

 

Harry smiled.

 

"It's okay. Thank you."

 

Louis looked up too late to find Harry bending to hug him, he awkwardly patted his back.

 

"I'll tell Perrie to save us a space for tonight," he said and disappeared to do just that.

 

//

 

Louis danced the best he could with burning painful welts on his toes. He raised enough to get him and Harry a pastie each from the shop by the park and they saved them for dinner, still full from breakfast at lunchtime.

 

The shelter didn't open until eight so they sat together, backs to a tree as they sat adjacent, listening to the wind as they ate.

 

"It's getting colder," Louis said.

 

"I know," Harry replied, voice deep and concerned.

 

"What will you do?" Louis wondered, flicking a look over the vulnerable-looking guy by his side.

 

Harry didn't seem like a street kid at all, he seemed far too gentle. Louis couldn't imagine him being kicked to smithereens for a five-pound-note or having to fight off drunken louts who fancied a go. Something in Louis wanted to protect him but he didn't understand that feeling, not really.

 

He had to protect himself first, not some once-rich-kid who'd fallen from grace.

 

But what if-

 

What if Harry suffered exactly the same fate Louis had, thrown out of home for something he couldn't control? Then Louis owed it to Harry to try and help him, show him the ropes.

 

"I don't know," Harry admitted quietly to Louis' question.

 

Louis bit his lip.

 

"Look, how about I take you on a tour? I can show you the safe places, the warm ones...I can probably show you how to defend yourself too if you like?"

 

"I can defend myself," Harry replied, a little defensively.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"Okay..."

 

"I can," Harry grumbled.

 

"Sorry," Louis offered.

 

Harry knocked his head back.

 

"You're an amazing dancer, Louis," he said then.

 

Louis smiled sideways at him.

 

"I was at Thanet," he explained.

 

Harry gazed at him with the kind of expression that someone suffering internal turmoil might display. Louis wondered if he wanted to ask questions but not answer them. He wondered if he minded.

 

"Can we share again tonight?" Harry asked and Louis wasn't expecting it.

 

He choked on his own spittle.

 

"You scared?" Louis reached over and ruffled his hair.

 

Harry dragged it back towards his bun.

 

"I don't know who to trust," he admitted and well-Louis couldn't really deny that plea, could he?

 

"Definitely not me," Louis teased. "I'm definitely not the guy you should trust."

 

Harry's lash-flickered look told Louis he knew full-well that was an outright lie. When his padded lips smirked just slightly Louis' knew he got it, completely. And strangely, weirdly, somehow, Harry got him. Not an occurrence he was used to.

 

//

 

So they shared the double again, Perrie ear-marking the best bed for Louis until his injuries were mended.

 

And if waking up tucked into Harrys chest with his hot body close and breath falling in his slightly-too-long hair was all kinds of interesting then being spooned by Harry was something else altogether.

 

His breath fell on the back of his neck this way, his heat was plastered all down Louis' back and even his thighs where Harry's tucked up underneath his own. He felt like Harry's personal teddy-bear and he'd happily fill out an application for the role and take an unsalaried position if he could.

 

He'd forgotten what this was like- being held. It was different to holding someone. Holding someone told them you protected them. Being held by someone made you feel loved. Louis didn't get to feel loved, it wasn't part of this new life he was working hard to break free from.

 

Liam had asked him if he had any savings to add to the stash he was looking after for Louis (which probably amounted to about £200). Louis had handed over the ten pounds in coins he'd raised pirouetting through Kensington Park.

 

He trusted Liam implicitly with his money and Liam told him it was safe in a bank account for whenever he needed it and Louis trusted that. He really did. He'd held Liam for a long and quiet moment after he'd given him the coins, his hold hard and emotional and he'd had to duck his head to hide the tears that had clustered his lashes.

 

Liam had cupped his face and brushed a thumb across his cheek telling him to 'stay strong' and Louis didn't know what that meant really. He just existed. Day to day.

 

He tried to ease back into sleep, his usual midnight wakening due to his self-training to never fall asleep too long without checking around him. Only tonight he was safe. Warm and loved. And he could sleep forever with that feeling in his heart.

 

//

 

Louis showed Harry the ropes the next day. His chilblains were recovering and he'd managed to find a new pair of sneakers from the clothes pile even though Harry had tried to find him boots.

 

Louis wasn't a big fan of boots, never had been. He'd always preferred the sporty look although in this wintry clime he didn't have much choice of what he wore but still, he couldn't dance in boots and he needed to earn his money somehow.

 

Harry was frowning and biting his lip guiltily as Louis toured them around the neighbourhood.

 

"Look, you don't have to show me this, you can just dance like you usually do..." He was insisting huskily.

 

They hit the cover of a bridge near the river and Louis turned to bow grandly.

 

"How about here, then?" He suggested. "Could use a little music..."

 

Harry cleared his throat.

 

"I could sing," he offered hesitantly.

 

Louis arched a brow.

 

"Is that what you do? Busk?"

 

Harry shrugged. "My guitar got stolen..."

 

Louis blinked, a pain zipping through him. Who would do that? Who would steal this beautiful boy's guitar? Sometimes he hated the low-life of London.

 

"I know a guy," Louis said then.

 

Harry made a bemused face.

 

"No, don't worry..."

 

"It won't cost us anything," he promised.

 

"How?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis swallowed.

 

"Not every currency is money," he mused.

 

Harry's eyes flared at that and Louis was amused by his naïveté.

 

"You've avoided pimping yourself then," Louis commented. "Good for you."

 

He felt awkward suddenly, revealing that he'd given the odd blow-job in times of desperation to get something in return- maybe a new coat, maybe somewhere to sleep the night, sometimes for food. Harry was staring at him as they stood under the bridge, two people surrounded by vast space and feeling insignificant in comparison.

 

Louis noticed the grey of the sky above the river; recognised clouds coming in signalling rain.

 

"This would be a good place to bed down tonight," he suggested while Harry's stricken face and intense gaze unsettled him, making him hitch a nervous breath into his lungs.

 

Harry walked closer, cupped his arms right above the elbows.

 

"Louis...do you-" Harry swallowed. "You don't have to do that anymore, okay?"

 

Louis knew he was still referring to his previous comment. He lifted his blue-grey eyes which were guarded by long, long lashes and pursed his rather thin lips.

 

"It's not what you think. Just the odd blow when I was rock-bottom," he offered.

 

Harry's hair was curling wildly about his neck, trapped down by his navy beanie. Louis' fingers twitched to touch and he sucked in a tiny shocked breath at that urge, not used to wanting things. He didn't let himself want. It was dangerous territory.

 

And then Harry was holding him, Literally wrapped him into his big, strong arms and pulled him into his tall, lovely body and hugged him. Louis felt like he was being consumed by a bear. And well-

 

It was strange. It was strange to be held for one and it was strange that Harry was holding him for a second. Because street kids just didn't do warm and friendly. They were guarded and defensive and sometimes they were even more- aggressive. So Harry being caring wasn't something Louis was expecting or actually felt comfortable in receipt of.

 

"Um..." Louis stiffened in the embrace and waited for Harry to pull back.

 

"Promise me Louis, no matter how bad it gets...you won't do that again, okay?" Harry begged huskily, his voice quiet and soft.

 

Louis sighed out, reluctantly softening into Harry's arms but still not hugging him back.

 

"I'll try," was the best he could promise to this stranger.

 

 

Harry pulled back.

 

 

"So we'll bed here tonight? Not at the shelter?" He posed.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"There are so many people that need that warmth and food I feel bad taking a spot every night..."

 

Harry nodded, frowning slightly as he looked around.

 

"It's gonna be freezing."

 

Louis smiled a little, offering the young man hope.

 

"Winter's always the hardest isn't it?" He mused, then tapped his large rucksack that sat on his back. "I have a sleeping bag we can share," he added.

 

Harry shook his head, hands coming up expressively.

 

"No, that's yours," he argued.

 

Louis smirked, brow arching.

 

"Look, this is a platonic arrangement only, okay?" He assured. "I'm not about to start touching you up so don't panic..."

 

Harry arched a brow in return and pursed his lips sassily.

 

"I didn't think you were...I'm just not happy about taking your sleeping bag from you."

 

"We can share, I told you," Louis repeated. "If you trust me," he added with a shrug.

 

It was okay if Harry didn't trust him, he was the same when he first toured the streets. And then he developed this sixth sense, this innate ability to read people. So far Harry was clean.

 

Harry appeared to think about the proposition for a moment.

 

"If you're sure."

 

Louis nodded.

 

"Let's try and find you a guitar so we can earn enough coins to share a pastie for tea," Louis suggested, turning with a purposeful stride away. Harry followed him more slowly.

 

//

 

The sleeping bag was a snug fit with them both in it. Louis had originally thought they could use it as a duvet but they hadn't been able to procure many boxes to soften the ground and so they had sandwiched in together; squished but warm.

 

Harry smiled into Louis'; face, green eyes lighting up warmly and dimples appearing on both cheeks. Louis' lips parted in shock.

 

"This is cosy," Harry teased, arms slipping around Louis' waist to gently curl there, making their sleeping position more comfortable. Louis didn't have a choice but to settle into Harry's body.

 

"Yeah...yeah it is," he mused drily.

 

"Thank you," Harry hummed, his voice low and gritty. "For letting me share," he added to clarify.

 

"You're like a furnace, Harry, It's pretty much a boon for me," Louis teased.

 

Harry's dimpled smile made a brief reappearance.

 

"I'll look after you," he promised in a whisper, eyes fluttering closed to showcase his curly lashes, so delicate upon his pale cheeks. His handsome face was relaxed and where he pressed his lips together, his dimple sat small and cute. Mocking.

 

Louis liked his words, wondered if they meant anything. Probably not. He stayed extra-alert, not letting himself fully fall asleep as Harry drifted off.

 

//

 

 

Harry disappeared for two days.

 

Louis began to worry about him and came by the shelter to ask of any of his friends had seen him and nobody had. Louis was worried sick, unable to sleep and barely eating but nobody had to know that was why he wasn't eating and had black smudges under his eyes.

 

He fell in with a wino gang on the corner of Archer Street, abandoned houses boarded up as their backdrop, loud singing and drunken yelling the soundtrack tonight. Louis tucked into his jacket, arms wrapped around his middle with his fingerless gloves on. He'd learned pretty soon to never wear full gloves. You never knew when you needed your grip.

 

Colin was about the same age as him but very macho, a proper stereotype frat boy when he'd had a few, all 'Lager Lager' and chasing pretty girls in short skirts.

 

Louis thought he must be really drunk then to sit by him and slip a hand onto his thigh.

 

"Bet you look cute in a mini-skirt," Colin slurred.

 

Louis arched a brow.

 

"Not sure you'll ever find out, sweetheart," Louis said but the endearment sounded anything but.

 

He pushed his thighs together and subtly leaned away from the other man's touch.

 

"Oh come on...you're a pretty girl," Colin leered, hand grabbing at Louis' crotch as it slipped up between his thighs.

 

"Hey!" Louis quickly unfolded his arms to push him off, finding Colin strong and overpowering. He fell backwards off the milk-crate he'd been perched on and the breath was pushed out of his lungs as Colin landed on top of him, one hand pushing down the front of his jeans forcefully, making Louis' skin sting with the contact.

 

He winced, trying again to push him away but his weak arms were no match for the stronger man.

 

"Help!" Louis called out, reluctantly. He knew no-one would be willing to. They'd turn a blind eye and that's why he didn't usually sit on wino corner but tonight he'd wanted a drink and now he hated that his brain felt fuzzy and his body felt foreign and he hated the smell of acrid booze-breath from the lump pinning him down.

 

"Please--help me!" Louis reached for a passing drunk, closing his eyes painfully as the guy passed right by without stopping.

 

He'd remember his face and tell Perrie never to let him into the shelter. But for now he needed to get free. He began wriggling, moving his arms and legs as much as he could while Colin's hand drove deep into his jeans and stroked at his uninterested dick.

 

"Thought you'd be a little rocket..." Colin breathed, Louis turning his face away in disgust.

 

"I am...when I _fancy_ someone," he pointed out and it was somewhere between trying to bite Colin's face and working his knee free to knock him in the balls that suddenly he was free of his overpowering weight.

 

"Wha-?" Louis gasped, looking up into the street-lit night to see Colin being grasped by the collar and jeans belt, tossed away.

 

"I don't believe you have permission to touch him," Harry said and Louis sat and gaped. Really gaped.

 

"Ha-" He found he couldn't quite finish anything he wanted to say.

 

Harry was pushing Colin into the pavement, hand on his upper arm while Colin shrouded his face with his arms fearfully.

 

"He's drunk!" Louis choked out, scrabbling to sit up on the damp, cold tarmac now that he was free. "Let him go..."

 

Harry glanced at Louis, nostrils flaring. He shunted Colin one last time.

 

"Get out of here before I make you," he said low and soft but oh-so-dangerous. Nobody doubted Harry's threat because the winos scattered and Louis swallowed, looking down into his lap as his hands began to shake.

 

Harry held out a hand to help him up, frowning at his open jeans fly with a pained wince.

 

"Can I...?" He asked, aggravation furrowing his brows as his gentle hands drifted towards Louis' crotch.

 

Louis swallowed a hitch in his throat making him gulp loudly but he nodded and watched as Harry carefully restored his clothing. He cupped Louis' arms when he was done, stared into his face.

 

"Are you okay?" He finally asked.

 

Louis avoided looking at him because he really didn't know. For a moment there he'd felt terribly afraid and so, so alone. The next thing he knew, Harry had pulled him into his arms. His second hug from the taller, younger man but no less beautiful. Louis leaned into his shoulder and let out a relieved sigh, turning his cheek into Harry's jacket.

 

"You smell so good," Louis sighed again, almost a hum.

 

"I can't believe what that guy tried to do," Harry grumbled, his hand hesitating in mid-air before cupping the back of Louis' head and stroking sweetly downwards toward his collar.

 

"Thank you," Louis breathed.

 

"Nobody came to help you!" Harry was still aggravated apparently. "I'm not leaving you alone again," he added resolutely.

 

Louis laughed. Short and sharp and amused. He leaned back a little.

 

"I'm used to being alone," Louis reminded him.

 

"Louis...has anyone...has that ever happened before?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis stared at him.

 

"You know it has, so why are you asking?" He posed softly, quietly.

 

Harry frowned, folding him close again.

 

"I found a place to stay sometimes," he offered then.

 

Louis smiled.

 

"Thank god."

 

"There's room for both of us..."

 

Louis pulled back again, smiling bemusedly.

 

"What?"

 

"It's at the back of some shops and it has a broken-in window but it's warm."

 

Louis smirked.

 

"Are you enticing me into your lair, Harry Styles?" He teased with a warm twinkle in his blue-grey eyes.

 

Harry actually blushed and smiled back.

 

"Maybe," he admitted lowly.

 

"You know I like boys, right?" Louis asked.

 

Harry's keen gaze on him told him he maybe hadn't been sure of that.

 

"I think I have all the necessary parts to fulfil that criteria," Harry pursed his lips and Louis laughed out loud.

 

Harry bit his lip, studying him for a moment longer.

 

"Are you really okay?" He checked.

 

Louis shuddered, feeling dirty suddenly. He wrapped his arms around Harry's middle and pressed his face against his chest, knowing he would regret this, would regret showing fondness, regret showing affection, regret letting himself hold someone. His life didn't allow such luxuries. That kind of delight was most often ripped away from him and often a cruel reminder of his downward luck spiral.

 

And he really wasn't okay but he couldn't show it. Couldn't let his scared tears fall or his feared heart to beat erratically in staccato gasps the way it wanted to. Louis had to be brave, always had to brave. And being in Harry's arms wasn't being brave at all. But he didn't have much mind to care when Harry held him so beautifully and wrapped him up protectively in his arms.

 

"Louis..." Harry whispered, the word full of emotion. "I'm so sorry I left you...I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you..."

 

"You were," Louis assured with a bitter swallow. "You were right on time."

"He touched you?" Harry asked then, husky and concerned.

 

Louis nodded, tipping his face down shamefully.

 

Harry's face creased and he tilted Louis' jaw up with a curled finger.

 

"Do you ever get it nice sometimes?" He wondered. "Nice touching?"

 

Louis smiled weakly.

 

"Not for a long time."

 

And it was true. The two years he had spent blagging a bed he'd also spent single. Before that, when he was sixteen and twinky, he'd had the odd snog and grope and yes, he'd even had a few fucks.

 

Harry crowded in a little, lips ghosting Louis' temple.

 

"Do you want..." he cleared his throat as if to gain confidence. "Do you want me to?" He asked.

 

Louis wanted him to very much but-

 

"Not now," he denied softly, wincing at the unfair injustice of it all. If it wasn't for Colin the brute, Harry might be palming him right now. They might even be kissing. Louis wondered if Harry's offer of _touching_ included _kissing_. He really hoped so.

 

Harry was holding him though, his warmth and familiar scent already calming him. He didn't like to think about that too much how a few days with the long-haired boy could make Louis ache so much with want.

 

Louis looked up again, realising Harry's curls were free of his navy beanie. He ran his fingers through the curly mess hesitantly only for Harry to swoop his head away.

 

"M'hair's a bit greasy," he grumbled.

 

Louis insistently tangled his fingers back into the mess despite the lack of cleanliness. He wasn't faring a lot better himself since he hadn't been back to the shelter for two nights.

 

"Shall we try your little hideout tonight and pay Perrie a visit tomorrow?" Louis suggested of the late hour.

 

Harry nodded, turning to lead the way and Louis felt weird to follow him without taking his hand.

 

//

 

 

Harry was right, it was warm and dry in the little hovel he'd found in the back of a launderette. They'd managed to sneak some leftover Chinese from the bins and ate it cold, ignoring the less than sanitary conditions of their dinner.

 

Louis was tired after eating, found it was almost twilight when they were ready to sleep. He let Harry hold him, wondering when Harry needed strength and protection, wondering what he could give Harry to make him feel just as owned as Louis did right now.

 

"Haz?" He murmured, fidgeting in his arms.

 

"Hm," Harry stirred, chin on the top of Louis' head.

 

"Why aren't you scared?" He asked honestly.

 

Harry smirked.

 

"Think I proved I can take most guys out..."

 

"But...out here...when it's cold, when you're alone..."

 

"I'm not alone anymore, am I?" Harry posed and maybe that was it.

 

Maybe Louis was the key to Harry's loneliness.

 

"Do you have anyone who means something to you?" Louis wondered.

 

Harry sighed.

 

"Not here," he replied diplomatically.

 

"Do you trust me?" He asked next. He felt Harry's' lips move against his hair and he knew he was smiling.

 

"Strangely, I do..." he admitted.

 

"You promise not to leave?" Louis asked then, fighting his fatigue as his eyes got heavy and he fought to flick his lids back repetitively.

 

"I promise," Harry assured gently.

 

Louis fell asleep with that promise wrapped in his heart.

 

//

 

"Hey, there you are!"

 

Liam always looked so pleased to see Louis and the smaller guy didn't really get it, even now.

 

"Liam," he nodded. "Good to see you again..."

 

"We missed you, where've you been?" He checked.

 

Louis shrugged. "Ducking and diving..."

 

Liam pouted.

 

"We've got your favourite bed for the whole two weeks if you want it..."

 

Louis rolled his eyes.

 

"Depends if Harry is going to share with me or not," he posed, speaking deliberately loud enough for Harry to hear who was chatting avidly with Perrie a few feet away.

 

"What? I heard my name..." Harry called.

 

"He wants to sleep with you!" Liam grinned widely as Louis smacked his arm-hard.

 

"Shut up Liam, that's not what I said...not like _that_ ," he added.

 

Harry was smiling at him kind of goofy.

 

"You can tell Louis I want to sleep with him too," Harry returned audaciously, making Louis blush.

 

"Liam, I'm going to murder you," Louis warned with a squint as the good-looking brown-haired guy moved away to finish setting up for the night.

 

Harry turned away from Perrie toward him with a brow arch.

 

"So, what's the proposition?" Harry teased.

 

"Double bed, my place," Louis pursed his lips with a smile threatening the edges.

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Impressive..."

 

Louis shrugged.

 

"I even cuddle..."

 

"Bonus," Harry agreed quickly.

 

"I can get us breakfast in the morning too...."

 

"You cook?" Harry played along sweetly.

 

Louis grinned, wide and bright.

 

"Chef extraordinaire..."

 

Harry blinked at him, chewing his lip.

 

"So when can we try out this bed?"

 

Louis hitched a breath at his warm words, surprised at his flirting. It felt so weird. He had nowhere to live, no place to call home and yet in this warm hall filled with people that cared about him, he actually felt happy.

 

He began to feel something more. More than a warm buzz of contentment. More like an itch that couldn't be reached. A need lacing through his veins. Harry was gazing at him and the intensity of his stare alone was enough to create a reaction in Louis that he wasn't altogether happy about.

 

He wanted Harry. And he couldn't have him.

 

Or he could but...

 

But well Louis didn't have the best body, wasn't the greatest kisser either and he had this armour, this battle-coat to shuck off, one chain-link at a time. He wondered if Harry would be willing to do that -to get under his protective shell ; to get under his clothes. They were both in the same situation after all. Both lonely, both needed company, both young and scared and nowhere to call home.

 

It turned out their bed was ready by the afternoon so after watching some TV in the main hall they lay out on the mattress on the floor, elbows touching.

 

Louis turned to his side.

 

"Tell me your dreams..."

 

Harry cleared his throat, looking over.

 

"To make a difference," he replied.

 

Louis smiled. Very admirable.

 

"What's yours?" Harry asked back.

 

"To have a home," Louis said equally honest.

 

Harry nodded.

 

"You will Louis. How could anyone not want that with you?"

 

Louis hadn't actually thought about somebody else and it amused him that Harry had.

 

"So, no romance on the streets then," Louis fished lightly for Harry's past.

 

He shrugged.

 

"I've met the odd man but nothing amazing."

 

Louis realised he recognised that sentiment more than he cared to admit.

 

"Needs to be amazing," he hummed in agreement.

 

"It does," Harry was looking right at him, eyes slightly flared as his head tilted to one side to see.

 

Louis licked his lips and he wasn't sure if it was connected, but Harry moved onto his side.

 

"Is it weird, to want to kiss someone when you're struggling to find a bed every night?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis sighed out in relief.

 

"I don't know but if you work it out can you call me first?" He quipped back.

 

Harry smiled, that very-slightly dirty little smirk on his lips.

 

"Can I kiss you first, too?" Harry asked.

 

Louis should have been more shocked. Harry's hand had worked under his cheek, cupping it and soft green eyes blinked lazily at him.

 

"I know I'm not really first," Harry added in a stage whisper. "I'd just like to pretend I am..."

 

Louis kissed him then, pressing soft, damp lips to plush, sweet tasting ones.

 

Harry tasted of camomile tea- something he had taken to drinking at the shelter. And that was all Louis knew really, he was too overwhelmed to notice more. Because Harry was kissing him back. Beautifully. His large hand cupped his jaw, his body pressed up to his but didn't push for dominance and-

 

Well the way he kissed should be made illegal. Louis whimpered in his throat from the expertise Harry showed with his lips. When he pulled away Louis hoped he hadn't been kissing thin air until his eyes snapped open.

 

"It's over?" he breathed, disorientated for a moment.

 

Harry chuckled, thumbing below his lip.

 

"For now."

 

Louis sighed and settled into the duvet since they barely had time for anything now. He slipped his arm around Harry and tucked in close.

 

"I hope all your dreams come true," he murmured sweetly before he closed his eyes.

 

"I do too," Harry murmured back.

 

//

 

Some of Louis' dreams were admittedly shattered when he woke up to an empty bed. A quick sweep of the room with his gaze told him Harry wasn't present and when he looked to where Liam was dishing out ladels of eggs, his soulful brown eyes and pressed-together lips confirmed the fact to Louis.

 

Harry was gone.

 

He was gone for two days last time and it was the worst two days of his life but this time he had Liam and Perrie to help him through he supposed.

 

"Did he say where he was going?" Louis asked Liam as he queued for food.

 

Liam shook his head, lips downturned.

 

"Pez said he left at twilight."

 

"Must be a vampire," Louis mused.

 

Liam smiled.

 

"He'll be back..." he assured.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"Yeah..."

 

"Hey, move your pretty ass-cheeks me little diamond," Perrie's loud, clear voice rang out, forcing Louis down the line towards cooked meats. "No time for pining here, pet..."

 

Louis smirked.

 

"Ha-ha..."

 

"I'm sure he's fine you know," she added.

 

Louis smiled faintly, hoping this much was true. He didn't know anything about Harry- about his past, how he came to be here or what he did when he vanished. He knew he wasn't a prostitute because he'd begged Louis not to exchange sexual favours for goods anymore but still...Louis couldn't help but worry.

 

What if Harry was in trouble? What if he needed help?

 

Louis chewed on his lip as he slapped his tray down, sitting opposite George.

 

"Oh, you're talking to me now," George teased with a wide wink.

 

Louis managed a smile back.

 

"Make the most of it, old man," Louis returned.

 

//

 

"What do you mean, break him down?" Harry asked.

 

"This guy you've found...he's eating out of your hand...we need to make this article as hard-hitting as possible and if you can find his weakness-it just might get you a journalism prize and a promotion..."

 

"No," Harry frowned, his word sharp and final. "I'm not doing that."

 

"A journo with scruples?" Jack, his boss-the Editor of Real Times-arched a brow.

 

"Yes, a journo with scruples," Harry defended. "Also a man with feelings," he added under his breath.

 

Jack turned from his slow pacing, chin cupped in hand.

 

"Are you getting too close to this?" He asked.

 

Harry swallowed. _Yes_.

 

"No."

 

"If you're beginning to have feelings it could bias your article and that's dangerous territory..."

 

"I'm allowed to have feelings, I'm fucking human," Harry pointed out. "I just don't like lying to people."

 

"He has to believe you're just like him to open up," Jack insisted. "We want the true story of the homeless man. Not something a guy chooses to tell a journo. It's what makes us a cut above the rest," his boss reminded.

 

Harry sighed. He felt weird in the office, wearing black trousers, smart boots and a black cotton shirt, his hair clean and flipped to one side.

 

He also knew he had to manage this situation by himself. The one in which he was lying to Louis. Because his job- and his entire career- depended on it. And Jack was right but Harry planned on being friends with Louis after the article ran. And so he had to think of a way to manage both parts of his undercover work.

 

"Can I at least tell him the truth before the article goes to print?" Harry bargained.

 

Jack smirked.

 

"You really want to stay in touch with this guy? This homeless scum?"

 

Harry scowled.

 

"None of those people are scum, Jack," he pointed out. "You're the one trying to make a grown man cry."

 

Jack laughed out loud and Harry couldn't wait for this article to release so he could finally hand his notice in.

 

"I just think these guys are seen as drunks and bums and there's more to it," jack considered. "You've seen him begging, saved him from being attacked and now we want to see what makes him cry..."

 

Harry bit at his lip.

 

"Then you'll have to be patient because I won't make him," he said.

 

Jack nodded.

 

"You wont have to, from what you've said he trusts you already."

 

Harry felt annoyed at the way Jack talked about Louis like he was some kind of lab-rat. Just an experiment to play around with.

 

"Because we're friends," Harry reminded him.

 

Jack studied him for a moment.

 

"You're sure you can stay objective?"

 

Harry avoided his gaze.

 

"I can do this," he promised.

 

Jack nodded. "Alright. Off you go..."

 

Harry left his office with an unhappy frown on his face.

 

//

 

Louis was magnificent. He was so graceful and beautiful when he danced and he was absorbed in the music so much. He didn't even notice Harry was watching although Harry was hiding, leaning on a lamppost on the far side of the park to watch the crowd appreciate the man he was becoming to know quite well. Well enough to kiss, at least.

 

Louis was sat on a bench, knees up, arms wrapped around his legs as Harry slipped into the seat next to him, blue beanie fixed into place and his usual uniform of blue jeans, beat up tan boots and long, black coat.

 

"Hi."

 

Louis smirked, chin to knees. He glanced sideways, long lashes looking pale in the low sun.

 

"Hi...So I had this weird dream where this guy I kind of liked sort of vanished for a while," Louis posed.

 

Harry blinked lazily at him, eyes fixed to Louis' thin lips.

 

"Liked as in past tense?"

 

Louis smiled despite himself, sighing out.

 

"I made enough to share a Chinese..."

 

Harry bit his lip, looking over.

 

"My treat?" He asked.

 

And Louis looked at him, the question burning in his eyes.

 

_Where did you get the money? What do you do when you disappear?_

 

Harry hoped he wouldn't ask them aloud.

 

"Okay but we're having Chow Mein," Louis warned, getting up.

 

Harry would be happy to buy him one of everything if he forgave him this easily every time.

 

//

 

"This is where I slept, my first night..."

 

Louis was taking Harry on a different kind of tour. They were under a dark and dank bridge, the shadows of which hid things that made Harry tense uneasily.

 

"Hey, relax," Louis squeezed his arm. "Nobody here wants to hurt us..."

 

Harry gazed at him in the dark.

 

"Have you been okay?" He checked of his absence.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"I'm staying at the Shelter until New Years."

 

Harry felt an ache in his chest. Next week he would be going home to his mum and dad and Louis would be all on his own on Christmas Day. He was careful not to commit to his plans.

 

"It's my birthday next week," Louis said, moving forward so Harry had to follow him into the street-lamp-lit city.

 

"What, Christmas?" Harry awed.

 

Louis spat out laughter.

 

"No, Christmas Eve," he mused.

 

Harry blinked, stunned as they came under a lamp-light, the soft glow softening their skin and casting a hazy warmth about them.

 

"You were born on Christmas Eve?" Harry murmured.

 

Louis nodded.

 

"My mum used to say-"

 

Louis stopped abruptly and Harry lifted his brows at the first mention of any family.

 

"Well, it doesn't matter what she used to say," he supposed with a sigh.

 

"Tell me," Harry encouraged softly, taking his hand.

 

Louis twisted his lips, huffing a little.

 

"She used to say I was her present..." He shared then, softly. "Well...I guess that sentiment changed," he added cynically.

 

"When did it change?" Harry wondered, horrified.

 

He was horrified that anyone could think of Louis as anything other than a gift let alone his own mother.

 

"When she found out I was gay," he admitted lowly, looking downwards to their feet.

 

Harry squeezed his hand, letting out a long and telling breath before tightening his arms in a circle around Louis' body.

 

"Oh, Louis, I'm so sorry," he hummed, rubbing his cheek into Louis' soft brown hair. He smiled belatedly as he remembered something in his pocket.

 

He pulled it out.

 

"I brought this for you," he offered forth a grey beanie, a really thick, slightly too-big one that Louis immediately tugged on.

 

"What do you think?" Louis grinned, all teeth and scruff.

 

"Gorgeous," Harry replied, dimples deep grooves in his cheeks as he smiled.

 

Louis paused, then;

 

"Oh, really?" He teased, slipping away from Harry's touch. "Can't catch me though can you...?"

 

Harry rolled his eyes and slumped with a sigh.

 

"Lou-ee," he warned darkly.

 

Louis bolted, laughter echoing down the empty street.

 

"You're it!" He yelled in the distance, leaving Harry no choice but to give chase.

 

//

 

The best thing about chasing Louis was getting to catch him.

 

He was breathless and wriggling and smiling into the kiss they shared which was messy and open-mouthed. Harry tried to keep his arms tight around him but Louis wouldn't quit struggling, not quite sure where he wanted to wrap his arms- shoulders or waist?

 

Harry felt his cheeks ache as he smiled back in the kiss, swiping his tongue into Louis' giggling little mouth.

 

"That tickles," Louis breathed as Harry's hand slipped into the gap he'd made by unbuttoning one of the buttons on his coat, fingertips digging into Louis' side.

 

"It's meant to be sexy," Harry pointed out.

 

Louis smiled, eyes bright.

 

"When you're dirty and have nowhere to go it's hard to feel sexy," he said.

 

Harry bit his lip, cupping the back of Louis' neck where his gentle fingertips brushed his sensitive skin making him shiver.

 

"You still seem to succeed," Harry assured the shorter man in his arms.

 

"How come you always get to play hero?" Louis complained lightly, mock-fighting his way from Harry's embrace.

 

Harry arched a brow.

 

"You think you can even get your arms around me?" He teased.

 

Louis pouted, a challenge set. He proceeded to near-constrict Harry with his own small arms.

 

"See? I can do the protector-thing too;" he mused.

 

Harry grinned.

 

"You can," he agreed for the sake of getting back to the shelter before they locked the doors.

 

Louis seemed to sense his deliberate allowance.

 

"Oh, I see," he pursed his lips, flouting away.

 

Harry followed him, liking this version of Louis way more than he liked to admit.

 

"No, I mean it," Harry assured, following him, tucking a finger into Louis' belt loop possessively. "You're like...really protective," he said.

 

Louis glanced at him.

 

"If you want to share my mattress tonight, you should stop talking now," he warned.

 

Harry smirked.

 

"Look, you can't help being smaller than me and it's okay that I'm the big guy and the one that takes care of business..."

 

Louis tumbled in the front door of the shelter mid-wrestle.

 

"Hey! No horsing around," Perrie scalded lightly as they straightened from a dual head-lock. They both grinned innocently.

 

"Nice to see the pair of you with a smile on your chops, mind," she winked.

 

Louis ducked his head with a blush. Perrie let them move onto the sleeping area, both taking long showers and dressing in soft clothes with the security of their shared accommodation.

 

Louis let Harry wrap behind him, their usual pose.

 

"You won't go, will you?" Louis murmured into the low-light.

 

It was always a bit light here until midnight when lights went off.

 

Harry nuzzled his shoulder.

 

"No."

 

"Promise?"

 

"I promise..."

 

"I'll wake up and you'll be there?"

 

Harry sighed. He wanted to be here every time Louis woke up and that wasn't good. That wasn't good at all. Because then Jack was right and Harry was already in way too deep.

 

"I'll be here," Harry said in his deep, lulling voice.

 

Louis seemed to take that as gospel and finally relaxed into sleep.

 

//

 

Harry kept his promise.

 

Louis woke up to find Harry already awake, patiently waiting for him, arm around his waist. Louis turned a bit.

 

"You didn't even get up to help Liam," he observed.

 

Harry blinked.

 

"You made me promise," was all he said.

 

Louis nodded, a flicker of a smile on his lips.

 

"Wasn't sure you'd keep it," he admitted.

 

Harry wasn't offended.

 

"I know."

 

"You did..." He mused.

 

"I know," Harry smirked.

 

And Harry's hair was a little bit flat where he'd worn a beanie, washed his hair and then slept on it damp but Louis didn't mind. Didn't mind the dull laziness of his sleepy eyes or the slightly-too-pale tone of his skin before he was fully awake.

 

"It's nice not waking up alone," Louis observed and Harry had to agree.

 

He'd been waking up alone for the last six years, single and free to do as he pleased. Only not much did please him. He worked hard, concentrated on furthering his journalism career but when it came to love, it was far more complicated.

 

"It is," Harry murmured his agreement to Louis' words.

 

Louis sat up, ran a hand through his too-long hair.

 

"Oh god," he groaned, ducking his chin.

 

"What?" Harry sat up too fast, his elbow knocking Louis' who hissed and rubbed his distractedly.

 

"Perrie has her scissors out..." He nodded to the corner of the room where a miniature male-grooming shop was being set up.

 

Harry gulped.

 

"She won't make me cut my hair will she?"

 

Louis lifted a brow.

 

"She's not touching your hair," he agreed. "Me, I won't get off so lightly..."

 

Harry smiled at him, soft and warm.

 

"What do you look like with neat hair?"

 

Louis smirked. "You're about to find out, Harold..."

 

//

 

 

Louis could admit that with his shorter hair, he looked pretty good. In fact along with a new set of clothes from the pile along with being clean, fed and well-rested he almost felt normal.

 

Liam sat with him and helped him fill out application forms for jobs, promising him a longer spell at the shelter which Louis was loathe to take but this could be a life for him. A good life.

 

"So what's with the tall guy?" Liam wondered as Louis concentrated on making his writing neat.

 

"I'm not sure," Louis admitted.

 

"You like him though," Liam stated more than asked.

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "How did you guess?"

 

"I think he likes you, too," Liam shared.

 

Louis looked over to the far corner where Perrie was giving Harry a face massage since he refused a haircut and didn't need a shave.

 

"I'm not sure," Louis admitted.

 

"He keeps coming back," Liam said.

 

Louis nodded. "He keeps disappearing too..."

 

Liam shrugged.

 

"Some things are hard to explain."

 

Louis knew that to be true, he had his own difficulty in admitting what happened to him. Harry didn't know his whole story yet and Louis thought that maybe he never would. But he liked that he felt he had someone he could tell it to, finally. Harry had that way about him and even now, Perrie was spilling her own secrets to the long-haired man as he sat comfortably in her chair. It should be the other way around but Harry had a talent of keeping his own secrets and making everyone else share theirs.

 

"You don't think he's like, undercover police or something do you?" Louis wondered then.

 

Liam spluttered out laughter.

 

"No way!" he denied quickly.

 

Louis blushed.

 

"He could be," he mumbled.

 

Liam arched a brow.

 

"That boy screams hobo," Liam observed.

 

"True," Louis nodded. "I just-there's something I cant put my finger on..."

 

"Try your whole hand," Liam inserted crudely and Louis grinned and swiped him.

 

"You filthy shit," he accused.

 

Liam smiled back, brown gaze warm.

 

"Me and Zayn are playing Poole tonight if you want to join us..." He offered.

 

Louis looked at him bemusedly.

 

"I'm-"

 

"Homeless, I know," Liam said pragmatically.

 

Louis kept giving him that half-amused, half-confused look.

 

"What you can't play poole?" Liam challenged.

 

"Of course I can but-"

 

"But you're too scared to ask Harry as your date?" Liam added pointedly.

 

Louis could see where this was going now. If Zayn didn't have Perrie it'd be like a double date.

 

"Boys night crashed by first-date?" Louis made an uncertain face.

 

"It'll be nice, just us guys," Liam assured quickly.

 

Louis' gaze flicked back over to Harry who looked to be curled up asleep in the chair Perrie had been using for his facial only now she had commandeered another while Harry's long body snoozed on. Louis couldn't help the smile that ventured hesitantly onto his lips.

 

"Okay," he said.

 

Liam squeezed his shoulder.

 

"We'll leave at seven, pick out some new clothes from the pile," he added.

 

Louis headed to do just that.

 

//

 

Harry was wearing tight black-black jeans with a new pair of ankle boots he'd found in the pile which were soft suede and terrible for sleeping rough but perfect for a date. With his jeans he'd worn a cream silk short-sleeved shirt that had pelicans printed on it and his hair was long and loose and...lovely.

 

Louis began to think he'd become a poet as he assessed Harry's outfit.

 

Harry was smiling at him a lot, eyes dark and dimples darker. Louis began to regret the tight black jeans he himself had found (that he'd had to roll up three times to fit his short legs) and the black plimsolls and tee he chose to go with them. He didn't think- even with his new hair- he was much to write home about.

 

Zayn was leaning on his poole stick as Liam chatted to Harry.

 

"So you two are already an item?" Zayn guessed. "I thought Li said this was a first date type thing..."

 

"It is," Louis shot him a bemused look. "Why did you think we're together?"

 

Zayn pursed his lips, his dark, dark eyes warming with humour.

 

"Don't think you need me to tell you," he teased.

 

Louis looked back at Harry. Whose gaze didn't appear to have left him in the two minutes he'd taken to shoot his cue at a ball.

 

"We just clicked, that's all," Louis denied quietly.

 

He was sort-of afraid if he was honest. He still didn't know much about Harry including his motives for liking him. He could be using Louis for a regular bed, the food and the showers. Louis wanted to test his loyalty by sleeping rough but he needed the regular roof over his head more.

 

He had this cough that kept him awake if he slept in the damp and his chilblains had a habit or redeveloping after two or three nights in the cold.

 

"I think it's great," Zayn smiled happily.

 

Louis squinted slightly.

 

"Look, I'm his ticket to a bed, showers and food, right?" Louis posed his thoughts aloud.

 

Zayn gazed at him, his smile fading.

 

"Louis, you don't really think-"

 

Louis blushed. He hated that he had thought that. But how was he supposed to know any different? He'd learnt one thing in the last two years and that was to trust no-one. Not even beautiful, long-haired angels.

 

"I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe."

 

Zayn let go of his stick to rub between Louis' shoulder-blades and Louis noted the way Harry's gaze followed the movement, always assessing. Louis didn't doubt that Harry would step in if Zayn happened to become over-amorous or threaten him in any way. Not that Zayn would, but Harry didn't know that.

 

Louis watched the way his lips moved as he talked to Liam. He couldn't make out the words but he was mesmerised by his eyes, always so intense, so soul-searching.

 

"Your shot," Louis invited his partner.

 

Harry straightened, smirking confidently as he took control of the table, only three shots left when he missed. The way his lips curved told Louis he had done that deliberately to give him a chance.

 

"Way to impress your date," Zayn called cheekily. "You should have let him win..."

 

Harry looked to Liam who winked and Harry smiled, teeth flashing.

 

"Wouldn't be able to extend the night with a best of three challenge then could I?" Harry posed.

 

Liam high-fived him and Louis looked up, finishing his last three shots, still losing.

 

"What? Why do I feel like I'm being talked about?"

 

"Because you are," Zayn giggled, slapping his butt playfully.

 

Louis made a surprised face and licked his lips, straightening up, not sure how to feel about that contact. While Liam re-set the table, Harry edged closer, hand resting lightly in the middle of Louis' back.

 

"Not sure I like Zayn's attention to your behind," Harry mused.

 

Louis looked up at him, eyes alight.

 

"Is this role-play?" He wondered. "Like pretend-date possessiveness?"

 

Harry squinted, bemused. He swallowed with colour high ion his cheeks.

 

"Um...yeah, okay, if you want..."

 

Louis actually laughed. Harry wasn't kidding. His laugh died in his throat when Harry's hand slipped from his middle-back onto his butt.

 

"Can I smack your bum?" He asked lightly, a lot lighter than Louis felt he could say anything right now.

 

Louis smirked, biting his lip.

 

"Do your worst," Louis invited sweetly, the flirt in him rising to the challenge.

 

Harry's wrist flicked his hand coming down sharp and delicious against Louis' generous butt-cheek, making him startle a little with the contact.

 

He choked out a breath as Harry moved away to break.

 

"Holy fuck..." Louis murmured as Zayn crowded into his side.

 

"Did it work, did I make him jealous?" Zayn asked in Louis' ear.

 

Louis elbowed him away.

 

"You just stay away you hear me? I'm already in enough trouble..."

 

Zayn laughed but Louis didn't see what was so funny.

 

//

 

Harry held Louis' hand on the way back, the old-fashioned way. Louis hadn't held hands with anyone in what felt like forever. Not this way, this sweet, innocent and yet completely tummy-flipping way. This knee-melting way. He felt like he couldn't breathe and had had run a mile all at the same time.

 

Louis tried to concentrate on the words, really he did. But the stars were so pretty and they weren't going to be his blanket tonight. Harry was. And he was getting too, too attached to having Harry around.

 

"Well, we'll have to do this again sometime," Liam said as they approached the abandoned church that was being used for the shelter.

 

Zayn nodded, hands in pockets.

 

"Definitely."

 

Louis looked at Harry.

 

"Second date?" Harry posed with a smirk.

 

Louis bit his lip. Dates weren't even something he had considered in his situation. He'd truly thought this was it, his love-life was dead until he was back on his feet but Harry was proving him wrong.

 

"Do you normally date guys you meet on the street?" Louis wondered then.

 

Their friends fell away as they turned to each other, outside the shelter.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

"No?"

 

Louis rolled his eyes.

 

"Is that a real no?"

 

"Yes," Harry answered this time, short and real.

 

"So I'm the first? Since you've been homeless?" He checked.

 

Harry nodded with a swallow.

 

Louis blinked.

 

"Me, too." He sucked in air. "I mean...you are...the first...since..."

 

Harry stepped away, tugged on their joined hands.

 

"We have five minutes before they lock us out..."

 

Louis let Harry tug him inside where they shared their favourite bed together, the promise of tomorrow a sweet and happy thought.

 

//

 

Louis was losing an arm-wrestling match badly and the stake was high.

 

George had stumbled into his rucksack this morning and when Louis' favourite spider-man socks had fallen out, the older man had claimed them as his own. As much as Louis had argued it wasn't fair, George had stipulated Louis could only win his socks back by facing him in an arm-wrestle.

 

And every person in this room knew Louis couldn't arm wrestle. He was an inch from being defeated when a body scooted behind his, hand cupping over his and lending him strength to overpower the other man, Louis speechless as he over-powered George with Harry's help and he watched open-mouthed as Harry snatched his socks back.

 

"Don't mess with Louis," Harry merely said, hair messy and eyes sleep-dull.

 

Louis twisted a little on the stool they now shared.

 

"Uh...hi," he greeted confusedly.

 

Harry pushed the socks towards Louis' chest.

 

"Here, I got you these..."

 

Louis kissed him, strong and sweet on the lips.

 

"You're incredible," he said, and he meant it.

 

Harry made a face to deny that notion.

 

"I got you some socks, it's nothing..."

 

"No, you won me my socks," Louis countered breathless with awe.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

"They're your favourite."

 

How Harry knew that, Louis wasn't quite sure. Maybe because he wore them so much they permanently smelled of stale sweat. He felt warm inside from Harry's gesture to rescue the over-worn items.

 

"Maybe I can save your socks one day," Louis posed.

 

Harry grinned and wrapped his arms around Louis, squeezing him.

 

"Okay." He agreed easily.

 

Louis shrugged him off, turning more in the seat.

 

"No, I mean it," he said seriously, pouting.

 

Harry slipped his arms back around Louis' waist.

 

"Okay..." he said again, this time softer than before.

 

"Deal?" Louis checked, sucking a hopeful breath into his lungs.

 

Harry nuzzled his nose and paused before kissing him, humming out 'deal' before connecting their lips in a slow and soft kiss, the intimacy of their pose giving them protection from the rest of the room.

 

It was an investigation into how their lips felt together, how their tongues felt together, how their bodies fit together and Louis was sure he needed several years to draw accurate conclusions. Because the short, sweet minutes they actually got were nowhere near enough.

 

Harry drew back as a hand curled around his shoulder.

 

"Time to get a room, lads," Liam teased.

 

Louis ducked his forehead into Harry's chest and Harry held him, kissing his hair.

 

"Do you have a room?" He asked Liam.

 

Liam smiled and nodded, tilting his head sideways to gesture for them to follow. Louis got up first and let Harry take his hand to lead him through the church.

 

//

 

Upstairs there was a den where a TV was set up with X-box and beanbags thrown on the floor. Liam opened the door and turned to go back down, leaving Louis and Harry looking at each other bemusedly.

 

"Awkward much?" Harry said and Louis breathed out a laugh in relief.

 

"Yeah...yeah very..."

 

Harry sank into a beanbag that was the size of Australia and Louis hesitantly comforted himself in his side, receiving Harry's encompassing arm around his shoulders.

 

"Should we just play X-box do you think?" Harry posed.

 

Louis shook his head, wriggling a little to reach Harry's mouth, kissing him again gently.

 

"We should probably make the most of an empty room?" He suggested.

 

Harry cupped his face and kissed him for long moments back; knocked out of his blissful moment by the door bursting open.

 

"Oh, fuck!" Perrie exasperated. "I'm so sorry pet! I didn't know yous two was up here...I'm looking for Zen...have ya seen him?"

 

Harry shook his head and Perrie threw up her hands, stomping back down the stairs which left Harry to hug Louis' form close. Louis seemed to fidget awfully whenever he was in his arms.

 

"Do you not like being hugged?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis sighed, settling a little.

 

"I'm-I'm used to being on guard," he admitted. "Letting someone close is difficult."

 

Harry pressed his lips together.

 

"I know. Me too."

 

"You don't seem to find it difficult," Louis observed.

 

Harry smirked, huffed out some air.

 

"Well, I do. Sorry if you think otherwise..."

 

"You don't trust me?" Louis checked almost hopeful in that accusation.

 

Harry lifted a shoulder.

 

"Scared I guess. I guess we all are..."

 

Louis settled completely then, curling into his side.

 

"Don't go?" He asked before he closed his eyes, hoping for a mid-day snooze with his new best friend.

 

"I wont," Harry promised. And this time he could keep it.

 

//

 

Harry didn't go home on Christmas eve. He gave Louis his presents ( a pair of Pingu socks that Louis had caught Harry fighting Maude for unknowing that Louis had seen) and a brand new toothbrush (Spiderman to match his favourite socks). 

 

Louis was sitting knee to knee with him on their shared mattress.

 

"Thank you," he beamed leaning forward to kiss Harry' s cheek since they got in trouble for lip-kissing in the main room. "Can't wait to give you your present tomorrow, " Louis added.

 

Harry swallowed dipping his gaze. Louis caught on quickly. 

 

"You're not going to be here tomorrow are you?" He guessed. 

 

Harry gazed at him, reaching for Louis' grey beanie and swapping it with his blue one.

 

"I'll be back soon."

 

"Where do you go?" Louis wondered and Harry guessed he should know the truth.

 

"Home. " he admitted. 

 

Louis darted him a look. 

 

"You have a family?" 

 

Harry nodded.

 

"But why..."

 

"It's complicated. " harry shared and that wasn't entirely a lie. His parents were divorced both remarried to step parents Harry disliked intensely and he hated being torn between the two parents he'd grown up with.

 

"They know you're out here and they don't let you stay?" Louis looked heartbroken and Harry began to quickly regret his half-lies. He didn't want Louis to feel sorry for him.

 

"It's hard to explain, " he went with and Louis smiled bravely. 

 

"Okay. You don't have to don't worry," he squeezed Harry's hand.

 

And if Harry had known what would happen in the two days he went away he would never have let go of Louis' hand.

 

//

 

"How bad is it?" 

 

Harry was at the hospital grey beanie covering his curls. 

 

They wouldn't let him see Louis because he wasn't a relative but since he was the only person claiming ownership the nurse was beginning to cave. 

 

"Bruises to his face,  ribs, hips and legs..." She shared gently.

 

"Please tell me they didn't-" Harry began fearfully.  

 

"No internal injuries, " she added quickly.

 

Harry swallowed hard.

 

"Can I please see him?"

 

"He's sleeping Mr. Styles..." She hesitated. 

 

"He hates waking up and I'm not there, " he posed. "He's always making me promise to be there. .."

 

Harry's face creased.   _Fuck_. He should have been there. How did Louis get hurt anyway?  The nurse let slip he'd been brought in as part of a street brawl but Harry knew Louis didn't exactly possess a fighting instinct.  

 

He wondered if the guy that attacked Louis had been something to do with this.

 

The nurse gave in and took him through and Harry didn't leave his side for the hours and hours it took for Louis to wake up.

 

//

 

Liam had been the one to tell Harry the news about Louis when Harry had come back to the shelter on boxing day only to find Louis missing. It was afternoon and there had been a quiet lull about the place- more to do with the festive period than Louis' missing status but Harry had gladly taken the ride Liam had offered him to the hospital.

 

It was the day after boxing day that Louis woke up and Harry was pleased to say Louis was in his arms when he roused. Harry had taken to cradling Louis in bed whenever he was allowed and thankfully his soft-touch nurse was allowing him a lot.

 

Liam didn't know what had happened, he'd just told Harry that Louis had gone out early boxing day morning and gotten a call around lunchtime and he'd made sure Louis was settled before coming back to the shelter to tell the others.

 

So when Louis stirred and his eyes blinked sleepily up, long lashes pale in the sunlight, Harry felt his breath still in his lungs.

 

"Lou?"

 

Louis rolled onto his back from his side, peering upwards.

 

"Harry?"

 

Harry nodded, sighed out with relief.

 

"Yeah, it's me..."

 

Louis frowned, eyes flicking around the room.

 

"Where are we?"

 

And the tiny word held so much meaning. Not where am _I._ Where are _we_.

 

"Hospital," Harry husked, curling to kiss his hair.

 

Louis wriggled away a bit to stretch, wincing.

 

"What happened?"

 

Harry watched as Louis looked down on himself, wired up and bruised.

 

"You got hurt," Harry told him and something hit Louis' eyes.

 

They suddenly cleared of sleepy haze and fear struck across those blue-grey orbs like lightening. Louis gasped.

 

"I got ambushed!"

 

Harry watched him struggle into a sitting position, slipping an arm around his shoulders as they propped against the head-rest together.

 

"You're safe now," he laid another kiss on Louis' forehead among the aggrieved skin.

 

Louis' eyes were flitting around the room as his memories flooded back and the nurse soon attended to his wires, leaving him with the intravenous liquids and heart monitor.

 

"I went out...to get something from the sales...I got your Christmas present already but I thought of something else and I didn't have much money so-"

 

Harry kissed him quickly, on the lips.

 

"Lou, you didn't have to do that..."

 

"I'd seen something in a shop window before and I knew...I knew I had to get it, it was perfect...so I went out early to beat the crowds..."

 

Harry cupped his shoulder, eyes dropping with guilt. Louis had been hurt doing something for him. And he was lying to Louis every single day. He had to tell him, he had to tell him the truth he couldn't lie any more it wasn't fair and it wasn't right and it was killing him inside.

 

"I got it too!" Louis was remembering quickly, still recounting his morning. He began rooting through the drawer by the bed for the plastic bag containing his belongings.

 

He froze when his memories caught up. He swallowed, body tensing.

 

"They stole it," he said, voice rough and cold.

 

"What?" Harry frowned, turning toward him and cupping his arm.

 

"That's why they attacked me...they saw me leave the shop and they beat me up for it...I wouldn't give it to them so they hit me until I couldn't hold it anymore..."

 

Harry's face creased into horrified realisation and he quickly pulled Louis back into his arms.

 

"Hey, it's okay...you're safe now, remember? Nobody is going to hurt you."

 

Louis stiffened in his hold for long seconds until he broke down into sobs.

 

"It was so perfect!" he complained through his tears. "And they took it! Your present, they took it..." He shook his head, burrowing further into Harry's chest as he clawed at his jumper and Harry could only hold him tighter and sigh out.

 

"It doesn't matter, Lou," he assured softly. "You don't need to give me anything..."

 

"It was an angel," Louis pulled away, face wet with tears and eyes blood-shot. His voice was wobbly. "I found this perfect little angel necklace because I feel like you are...an angel that is..."

 

The way the tears were still cascading his cheeks and the fact this meant so much to him broke Harry's heart.

 

"We'll find another one, okay? Thank you, though. Thank you for thinking of getting me it..."

 

Louis hiccupped, a smile pushing onto his shaky lips.

 

"I might have had another motive," he admitted shyly.

 

Harry smiled bemusedly back.

 

"Oh?"

 

Louis fiddled with his fingers.

 

"Sometimes when you have to go...I wonder if there's other guys you know? Like...what we have is so new and fragile...and the necklace was-it was my way of asking you...of asking you to-"

 

"Be your boyfriend?" Harry arched a brow, suggesting the very thing he'd been considering himself since walking into this room and finding Louis half-dead.

 

Louis gazed at him, lips pressing together.

 

"Yeah," he breathed, swallowing nervously.

 

"And me wearing it would have been a 'yes'?" Harry checked.

 

Louis nodded.

 

Harry curled him back into his chest and kissed his hair again.

 

"We're finding that necklace, Lou," he promised. "So that my 'yes' can be official..."

 

Louis grinned, arms going around Harry's waist. They'd only kissed a few times and been on one date but it didn't seem to matter.

 

"There's something I have to tell you," Harry hummed into the quiet room.

 

Louis shifted back a little to look upwards.

 

Harry bit his lip, afraid to say the words and ruin this moment. He really wasn't sure how Louis would take the news of his real life but he felt he had to tell him since they'd just become boyfriends. It wasn't exactly something Harry had planned to happen so soon but sometimes you couldn't put off these things. And he wanted to be exclusive with Louis, more than anything in the world. He just wasn't sure how he was going to explain this all to Jack yet.

 

"You're going again?" Louis filled Harry's silence.

 

Harry frowned, breathless with fear.

 

"No! No, I'm here," he promised.

 

"Then what?" Louis cupped his jaw and kissed his lips, just sweetly.

 

Harry just had to kiss him back, gently, mindful of Louis' injuries.

 

When he pulled away, he dipped his gaze.

 

"I'll tell you another time," he mumbled, backing out of his grand confession.

 

//

 

It wasn't until a week later when Jack asked him if he'd gotten the emotional melt-down that Harry remembered he had in fact gotten the reaction his boss was looking for. But there was no way he could admit to it without telling him what inspired Louis' tears and he was definitely not going to tell his boss that Louis cried because his present for Harry got stolen.

 

So he'd lied, a talent he was getting good at.

 

"No, he's tougher than I thought," he said of Louis.

 

Jack pursed his lips.

 

"You need to write the article, your time is up."

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Okay, don't worry I have enough to make it good," he assured.

 

Jack considered him.

 

"You're back in the office as of Monday, what are you going to tell him?" He wondered.

 

Harry felt fear tighten in his chest where his heart struggled painfully to beat.

 

"The truth, I guess," he shrugged.

 

Jack nodded thoughtfully.

 

"We don't want any repercussions from this, he'll need to sign a disclaimer."

 

Harry gazed at his boss coolly.

 

"I'm not going to mention names or anything personal. If this wasn't the end of the assignment I'd be asking to come off the job," he admitted. "You were right, I got too close to it and I'm not giving Louis up," he said.

 

Jack pressed his lips together, nostrils flaring.

 

"I need that story, Harry."

 

"I know," he nodded shortly. "And you'll have it. But some things are more important than press," he added.

 

"I can just as easily get someone else in there and do the job properly," Jack clipped.

 

Harry stiffened.

 

"Nobody else is going near Louis," he warned.

 

Jack smirked.

 

"I see. Fell for the tramp, did you?"

 

Harry blinked, sitting forward in his chair.

 

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to my boyfriend that way..."

 

Jack spat out some disbelieving laughter.

 

"Your-what?!" He choked.

 

"Boyfriend," Harry repeated calmly, sitting back with his own smirk.

 

Jack eyed him amusedly.

 

"Just get the article on my desk Monday morning," he stipulated with a sigh.

 

Harry got up and left the room.

 

//

 

Louis was playing with two little girls in the park, showing them ballet when Harry found him.

 

There was never a good time to tell him the truth but tonight was it, really. It had to be done because Harry had to go back to his job and his life and he wanted so badly to take Louis with him. He wanted to see Louis every day if he could.

 

He smiled softly as he watched the trio dancing, smiling and playful. Louis was gaining more coins from being a sweetheart than he did from his performance art. Harry threw a pound into his pouch, causing Louis to look up, about to say 'thank you'.

 

"Oh, it's you," he said instead, with a wink and a smile, a crinkle-eyed one that Harry was quickly falling in love with.

 

"I'm back," Harry announced with a brow arch.

 

"Ladies, I'd like you to meet my Prince Charming," Louis introduced his two students to Harry.

 

Harry bowed obediently.

 

"How do you do?"

 

They both giggled behind shy hands, one of them reaching up to touch his hair.

 

"You're like a Princess," she said and Harry had to purse his lips in agreement.

 

"Yeah, some might say," he teased.

 

The two girls ran back to their mother and Louis picked up his takings, stuffing it into his bag.

 

"So, what's the plan, Princess?" Louis asked.

 

Harry tilted his head.

 

"Ha-ha. Can we get a shower somewhere?" He wondered. "I want to take you out tonight..."

 

Louis lifted a curious brow at that.

 

"You disappear for a day and come back flush," he mused.

 

Harry smiled.

 

"It's nothing awful," he promised.

 

Louis nodded, a secret smile about his lips. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and withdrew one, necklace dangling from his balled fist. It was a dainty silver chain with a tiny angel hanging off it.

 

Harry gasped, eyes darting to Louis'.

 

"You found it?"

 

Louis nodded, smile wide but closed-lipped as his eyes crescented.

 

"Where?"

 

Louis let his beam escape then, shrugging.

 

"Oh, you know..."

 

"No, I don't know," Harry mused.

 

Louis bit his lip.

 

"Can I put it on?"

 

Harry softened.

 

"Yes," he agreed and his yes was to so much more.

 

He ended up taking Louis into his arms and kissing him silly right there in the park. He swished his hips a little as they pulled away. It was an intimation to something more, something dark and sensuous and Louis probably felt the least sexy in second-hand clothes and with nowhere to go, but Harry somehow made him feel so, so alive. And desired. Louis liked that the most, feeling wanted.

 

"Shall we get ready for our date?" Harry's smile was warm and suggestive.

 

Louis nodded breathlessly.

 

"Let's go and annoy Liam."

 

//

 

Louis' bruises were fading. Harry had most of his clothes off and was trailing the rest away insistently as they kissed, Louis' back against the wall of the den room they'd shared that day Liam had sidelined them from kissing in the main room at the shelter.

 

Harry didn't care where he got to undress Louis, just the fact that he got to touch his beautiful naked skin was beyond amazing and the sounds Louis' made at his sensual touches was enough to have him hard in his jeans.

 

Louis was tugging at his t-shirt and Harry lifted his arms long enough for that garment to come off, his fingertips dancing around Louis' ribs and backs of those digits brushing down his belly.

 

He began to walk backwards, manoeuvring them so he could lower Louis to the bean bag, keen to have his naked torso as close to Louis' as possible and there he could kiss him into the soft comforter and writhe against him, kissing at his throat.

 

Louis' hands were at his jeans, flipping them open, hand diving in before pushing them away and Harry keened, weakly groaning as he filled Louis' hand. He nosed into Louis'; throat helplessly, kissing there again.

 

"Lou, oh god...Louis," he sighed.

 

Louis began to stroke, up and down nice and slow, pushing away his underwear and jeans with his other hand, squeezing Harry's backside teasingly as Harry pushed up into his hand, eyes meeting Louis' with dark intensity.

 

"No lube or condoms," Louis noted with a wince. "Is this enough?"

 

Harry nodded, kissing him deeply. His tongue owned Louis' mouth where his body failed to own Louis' and he kept his weight off him mostly with his arms, rutting into his hand in a facsimile of what they both really wanted to do. It was slow coming because Louis was an expert at drawing this out, he was a demon, Harry decided.

 

So when his high finally peaked he was rigid, moaning Louis' name and helpless with need. He smiled with belated satisfaction when he felt Louis's hips circle two-three times before his own release came, their bodies sticky with the semen laying between them.

 

"Jesus, I forgot how messy this got," Harry admitted.

 

"Been that long?" Louis teased, fingering Harry's curls.

 

Harry hummed low and husky.

 

"I'm not a slut you know..."

 

Louis kissed his temple.

 

"Never said you were."

 

"Good. Because I'm not."

 

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's heavy body which now laid upon him. He considered this was maybe the best night of his life so far.

 

"Thank you for dinner," Louis said then.

 

Harry smiled against his shoulder.

 

"S'okay."

 

"How did you afford it?" Louis wondered and-

 

He had a right to ask, really. Harry accepted that. His little angel sat between their chests, pressed into both their skin gently and he owed Louis the truth- the absolute truth.

 

"Uhm...Well, the truth is...I'm-" He sucked in a breath for courage, "I'm not really homeless," he said, to start his story, but he winced and lifted his head as Louis frowned.

 

"What?"

 

"I'm not homeless, Louis, I've been pretending."

 

Louis froze, lips parting and eyes flaring.

 

"You _lied_?"

 

Harry swallowed.

 

"About that, yes..."

 

"Why?" Louis asked quickly, loudly. "Why would you do that?"

 

And suddenly Harry wasn't on top of him anymore but shoved to one side while Louis grasped for his t-shirt and dragged it on, his boxers following.

 

Harry closed his eyes and sighed out.

 

"I lied because it's my job to," he admitted. "I'm writing an article on homelessness and I needed to _be_ homeless in order to be accurate..."

 

"But-" Louis' mouth fell open. "You made me believe that-that we..."

 

Harry quickly got up, cupping his manhood as he did so.

 

"No," he quickly cut Louis off. "Everything between _us_ is real," he promised.

 

Louis made a shocked, hurt face.

 

"Real? You lied!" he accused. "How can this be real?! You have no idea! I thought you knew! I thought we were the same!"

 

"We are!" Harry argued back, not shouting but raising his voice.

 

He distractedly looked for his jeans and dragged them on, zipping them up but leaving the button undone.

 

"Louis...I never lied to you about how I feel," he promised.

 

"And I'm meant to believe that?!" Louis threw his arms out, quickly finding his jeans and pulling them on, dressing fully while Harry tried to contain him.

 

Harry pressed his back to the door when Louis headed towards it.

 

"Please, Lou," Harry begged. "I meant it when I said yes to being your boyfriend..."

 

"Oh, so you want to date a homeless guy now?" Louis cast snidely. "How nice, am I some kind of project for you? Did you tell all your rich friends about me?"

 

Harry sighed.

 

"The only person who knows about us is my boss...when I realised I had a conflict of interests."

 

"Conflict of interests?!" Louis repeated, loud and acerbic. "What about me? What about the fact I deserve to know what my boyfriend does for a living? Is that where you went?" He suddenly realised. "You went to talk about me?"

 

Harry stared at him, face creasing painfully. In all the world he knew this was never going to go well but this was much worse than he'd feared. Much, much worse.

 

"I went to talk about the article," he amended. "Jack knows how I feel about you."

 

"And how is that?" Louis arched, arms folded tightly across his chest.

 

Harry swallowed, his eyes dragging up to Louis', not wanting to say the words even though the feeling was there in his heart.

 

"I'm falling for you," he said honestly, husk sharp in his emotion.

 

Louis scoffed.

 

"That'll make a great story won't it? Lady and the Tramp...have fun writing it," he mused, heading to the side of Harry where the door handle sat.

 

"Lou, please don't go," Harry begged. "I want _this_. I want _us_ ," he argued.

 

Louis determinedly didn't meet his gaze.

 

"Move out of the way, please," he said, soft and sure.

 

Harry leaned off the door, knowing he had to let Louis go but this was most definitely not the circumstances in which he wanted Louis to walk away from him.

 

"Louis...just remember, my job means nothing, okay?" He called down the corridor as Louis walked toward the stairs and Harry's voice got louder. "I just wanted you!" He shouted, sighing out dejectedly. "I just wanted us..." he added quietly afterwards.

 

//

 

_An Angel Saved Me._

Louis squinted at the magazine article title Liam pushed into his face. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

 

"I'm not reading it," he announced.

 

"I think you should," Liam suggested.

 

It had been a week since Louis had seen Harry. A week since he'd walked out of there and Harry had been back to the shelter every day according to his friends but Louis had been sleeping on Liam's sofa in the fallout, the two of them becoming friends now, bypassing the professional relationship most of the homeless had with the shelter staff.

 

"Read it to me," Louis challenged.

 

Liam lifted a brow.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Louis shrugged. "You've read it anyway."

 

Liam plopped into the armchair which was next to the sofa where Louis was sat, hair skewed and dressed in grey sweats and a red jumper. He didn't bother much with getting dressed these last few days.

 

" _I went into this assignment thinking I would just be getting an atypical view of homelessness and the bitter taste of injustice at all those who have to suffer the failings of a government system._

_I guess I was wrong already because on my first night I found a night shelter that was full to bursting and yet one of the inhabitants still offered me a share._

_It became obvious in those following days that bitterness was not a prevalent emotion. Enjoyment of the smallest things was a treasure but hope was the leading factor here. Never mind the fact it was during Christmas that my stay was conducted, these people know more about looking to the future than anyone else I know._

_I began to feel like a fraud. I related so much to everybody in that room-although none of them will ever believe it- and yet here I was pretending to be one of them when I had my own home to go to. A lonely one, but a home all the same._

_And that's when I maybe came to realise that home isn't so much about the walls and the roof that make it a safe haven. It's about the people in it. And coming back to my apartment I realised, I wasn't really home at all. Because all the colours and personalities of the last few weeks were missing._

_A few of those people will forget I was ever part of their crowd, will maybe get to see this and curl their lips disgustedly at my betrayal. I can promise my intentions were never from a bad place. I wanted to highlight the fact that there is strength in what most of us perceive to be the weakest parts of society and I hope I achieved that._

_I'll stay friends with these people, not because they are 'homeless' because they are not. They have a home in each other. they are merely without a consistent place to sleep. And their resilience is inspiring, something I can call on whenever I feel a pout coming on and something I want all of you to do, too._

_But there is something I will always regret about infiltrating this world. Something that means so much more than the failure of society to acknowledge people as human beings and not commodities. I regret lying to the people I love. To be precise, the person I love._

_It seems impossible to go into an assignment like this and imagine meeting your soul mate, the person with whom you just effortlessly click with and instantly feel is 'home'. Home for me is where my heart is and my heart is with the angel who saved me."_

Liam looked up from the paper.

 

"There's a picture of the necklace," he turned the magazine to show Louis.

 

Louis flicked reluctant eyes across, frowning at the beautiful shot of his jewellery.

 

"It's a good picture," he offered quietly.

 

"It's a good article," Liam added.

 

Louis stared at his friend.

 

"Do you think...do you think he means it?"

 

Liam made a face, one that told Louis he was being an imbecile.

 

"He's been by the shelter every day looking for you."

 

"You didn't tell him I was here did you?" Louis checked sharply and Liam shook his head.

 

"No, but it's breaking my heart lying to him..."

 

"He's a liar, too." Louis pointed out.

 

"Look, I know you want to hurt him as much as he hurt you but you should see him, Lou. When he comes in he's always so hopeful and when I shake my head- because he doesn't even bother asking anymore- I feel like I've kicked a puppy."

 

Louis swallowed, biting his lip.

 

"How can he possibly be for real?" He posed. "A guy with all this- a job, a house, a car..."

 

"You think what he _has_ dictates how he _feels_?" Liam asked.

 

Louis thought about that. _Of course it didn't but_ -

 

"I thought he knew how it felt to be down and out."

 

"Maybe he does," Liam suggested. "And if he doesn't, he still fell in love with you, didn't he? So you're going to punish him forever for that?"

 

"He should have told me. He was lying to gain my trust and-"

 

"And he didn't use any of what happened with you in his story," he pointed out.

 

Louis licked his lips. That was true. Harry hadn't betrayed him, hadn't shared with the world the dark side to his experience and the realities of being without a place to go. And he could have, he could have laid it all bare, he was a journalist after all. Louis wondered what kind of journalist Harry would make if he showed signs of sentimentality.

 

Louis remembered the way Harry had come in his hand, the way they had kissed that night before everything turned sour. It had been an incredible night until Harry's truth was revealed and Louis began to realise that Harry had tried to tell him before, when he was in hospital but he was so upset about the damn necklace and Harry had changed his mind. So he'd told him when the article was due, when he had to give up his pretence but there was a reason for that because they'd just shared something incredible and maybe Harry wanted to share much more and so he had told him so they could start afresh with who they were and what they did and-

 

 _And Louis maybe loved him_.

 

Like a little bit, where his heart ached for the gap Harry had left, infiltrating his entire being so quickly and easily.

 

Maybe a little bit in his arms too where they felt empty without Harry to hold on to.

 

He thought back to Harry's words, his admission in the article.

 

_Coming back to my apartment I realised, I wasn't really home at all._

Did Harry really think of _Louis_ as home? Was that even possible?

 

He thought about the way Harry held him, liked protecting him and stepped in to do just that and maybe, just maybe Harry liked having someone to do that _for_. But-

 

Well, would things be weird now? Would Harry feel sorry for him and want to rescue him from this life? Would it change their dynamic and cause friction?

 

_It seems impossible to go into an assignment like this and imagine meeting your soul mate._

Louis sighed. Harry _was_ his soul-mate. They had just fitted together so easily, so beautifully and he missed kissing him. He wanted that night where lube and condoms were out of reach to be repeated with the essentials right there. He maybe wanted Harry to make love to him on his bed. And Louis would maybe allow that to happen and maybe stay over for just one night. If Harry let him.

 

If Harry-

 

He choked.

 

"Am I too late?" He asked Liam honestly.

 

Liam merely smiled, breathing out in relief.

 

"I know where he lives..."

 

Louis didn't ask _how_ he knew, he just headed for Liam's car even though he looked a wreck. His hair was still unstyled, his eyes bore dark circles, he looked like a proper bum in his sweats and jumper, socks overlapping the hems of his trousers and ugly trainers on his feet. If Harry still wanted him after all of his he'd consider sending him to a psychiatrist.

 

Louis hovered behind Liam as he knocked on the door to a house Louis didn't recognise. When Harry opened it, Louis ducked behind Liam's back.

 

"Oh, hey, man," Harry greeted, soft and tired.

 

Liam turned, confused at Harry's rather uninterested greeting. He lifted a brow as he found Louis crowding behind him and put an arm around Louis' waist, bringing him forward on the porch.

 

"I brought you something..."

 

Harry blinked, eyes going wide and lips parting in shock.

 

"You found him?" He gasped, darting his eyes back to Liam as Louis stared at the porch under his feet.

 

"I did," Liam said only. "Ignore his strange behaviour, he's actually fine..." He added.

 

Harry sucked in his lower lip while Liam rubbed a hand between Louis' shoulder blades.

 

"Can I leave now?" He murmured in Louis' ear.

 

Louis sucked in air, finally looking up.

 

Harry noted that his eyes were rimmed red and he looked gaunt. He ached to hold him.

 

"Depends if Harold will let me in," Louis posed breathlessly.

 

Liam looked to Harry and Harry nodded.

 

"Right, I'll leave you boys to it," Liam saluted and walked back to his car, idling the engine as he waited for Louis to go inside.

 

"He won't go until you come in," Harry said then.

 

Louis met his gaze, saw the same dark circles under Harry's eyes and felt instantly awful for causing that.

 

"Are you sure it's okay?" Louis asked.

 

Harry breathed out, relief lacing his tears.

 

"Jesus, Lou, yes," he assured.

 

Louis shuffled across the doorway and Harry closed the front door behind them gently, hearing Liam pull away.

 

"He's a good friend," Harry observed.

 

"Do you have one?" Louis wondered then.

 

Harry nodded, hands slipping into his jeans pockets. He was wearing ripped black jeans and a lovely soft grey t-shirt.

 

"His name's Niall, he can't wait to meet you..."

 

Louis frowned at that, looking at Harry who was slightly behind him since they came inside.

 

"He can't?"

 

Harry smiled a little.

 

"Seems to think he has a hundred stories about me that he has to tell you..."

 

Louis licked his lips.

 

"He doesn't think I'm a shitbag?"

 

Harry choked on Louis' expression, tilting his head.

 

"Why would he, Lou?"

 

"Because you've been coming for me every day and I've been hiding," Louis admitted.

 

Harry nodded.

 

"Oh. I didn't know that..."

 

"I've been hiding because you've made me question everything since you told me the truth..." Louis admitted then. "I get that _you_ feel the same but what about _me_? How was _I_ meant to feel the same thinking everything you said was a lie?"

 

Harry glanced at him with horrified eyes.

 

"I told you-I never lied about how I felt," he murmured. "Have you...Have you changed your mind about us?" Harry wondered then.

 

Louis didn't know what to do, didn't know how to make this right or okay or anything. He slipped off his jacket and hung it on a hook next to him, toeing off his shoes before he turned back to Harry.

 

He walked until he met Harry's body, sliding his arms around Harry's waist. He had to bypass Harry's pocketed hands and arms by his sides to achieve it. He squeezed really tight.

 

Harry paused with a heavy swallow and when he wrapped his arms around Louis he was slower, more precise. Louis loved that everything he did had such meaning to it, it was deliberate and thought-out.

 

"I've missed you," Harry admitted, voice rich with emotion.

 

"Me too," Louis shared. "Really, I'm like home to you?" He asked.

 

Harry nodded, not letting go.

 

"I feel like I don't know you anymore," Louis admitted.

 

"Will you let me tell you?" Harry wondered.

 

Louis nodded and Harry led them to the living room where they sat side by side on the sofa.

 

It was warm in there, cosy with heat and bright oranges and reds with brown furniture and bronze highlights. Louis liked Harry's home, found his slow, meticulous words engaging and explanatory and it felt like they were back at the shelter for a while, when they used to curl up together on the mattress or in the den that time.

 

Louis laid his head on Harry's shoulder.

 

"I haven't been able to sleep." he admitted.

 

"Me, either," Harry shared.

 

"Can we?" Louis asked, head lifting from Harry's shoulder.

 

Harry shifted lengthways, wrapping Louis up. It was his turn to ask;

 

"Don't go?"

 

Louis sighed out.

 

"Okay."

 

"Please," Harry added softly.

 

Louis closed his eyes and let the warmth surround him.

 

//

 

It turned out to be too hot with the heating and Harry's body and the jumper Louis put on that morning. He was used to colder climes so he woke up flushed and a little bit sweaty.

 

Harry wasn't on the couch but Louis could smell baking and he guessed Harry was in the kitchen. His suspicions were confirmed when Harry elbowed into the warm room with two cups of tea and freshly baked banana-loaf. Louis wrestled off his jumper.

 

"I couldn't impress you with my culinary skill before," Harry husked.

 

Louis watched him sit down, lifting Louis' calves into his lap gently, hands settling there on his sweat-pant covered skin. Louis flicked his eyes up to Harry's sleep-messed hair, the way his eyes were big and hopeful.

 

"You can now," Louis assured and Harry relaxed visibly.

 

"I'd love it if you ate with me," he posed.

 

"Every night?" Louis made a face and Harry nodded.

 

"You can't tell me you're that lonely," Louis denied. He would be wiling to bet that Harry had a lot of friends in fact.

 

"I am," Harry pouted convincingly.

 

"When can I meet Niall?" Louis wondered, reaching for a slice of cake and his tea.

 

"Whenever you like," Harry answered easily.

 

"What time is it?" Louis asked, sipping his tea and rubbing his eye with the back of his hand as he yawned cutely.

 

"Five," Harry shared huskily.

 

Louis bent his legs a little to get more comfy, liking this sofa way too much. His feet curled around Harry's thigh.

 

"Then I guess I should stay for dinner," he posed.

 

Harry nodded.

 

"And a sleep-over..."

 

Louis pursed his lips.

 

"Only because they would have given my bed away by now," he reasoned.

 

Harry grinned.

 

"You can have the sofa if you like." He offered.

 

Louis reached out for his hand to catch it up in his, twining their fingers.

 

"Quite like to share, actually..."

 

Harry breathed in, hopeful eyes meeting Louis'.

 

"Me, too."

 

"Can I borrow some of your clothes tomorrow?" Louis checked with a smirk.

 

Harry nodded, grin widening.

 

//

 

 

Louis didn't leave Harry's place for the next four days. Every time he packed up his bag, Harry would empty it in the middle of his room or confiscate it somewhere out of Louis' reach which meant he was forced to stay.

 

And so Louis had used Harry's facilities like he'd booked into a hostel, not quite making himself at home but feeling pampered with home-cooked meals and unlimited fresh hot water available at all hours.

 

And Louis could get addicted to the warmth of Harry's home, both in temperate (he could wear a tee and shorts here) and in comfort, because Harry made him feel so welcome it was really hard to think about going back. But he knew if he stayed another day that going back was a thought too hard to bear so he had to put a stop to this as soon as possible.

 

If he could bear the loss of being spooned by Harry then he might even have half a chance of sounding convincing when he told Harry he was going back to the shelter. Only Harry was spooning him now, just like all those nights they'd shared his thin little mattress on the floor and his hot skin was a burning reminder of the protection that embrace gave him.

 

Harry had lube (Louis had found it in his top bedside drawer) and condoms (bottom bedside drawer) but he hadnt once suggested using them in the four days since Louis had arrived. And they'd kissed and tumbled and stroked...

 

But Harry was holding back and Louis sort of knew why. They'd kind of rushed the 'boyfriends' part of their relationship and now they had Harry's betrayal laying between them. And Louis felt like Harry was waiting for him to forgive him for his lies, was waiting for Louis to be the one to say 'yes' to something more.

 

Because they both wanted it but neither of them quite pushed it further than the hot kisses and touches they'd shared so far.

 

Louis trembled as Harry's lips pressed into his shoulder by his neck, where Harry's t-shirt scooped low on his back and at the front on his collarbones too. He felt Harry drag the material down his shoulder, baring his flesh, kissing softly down his skin with his plush lips. Louis felt breathless, captured a gasp into his lungs and opened his eyes to take in this moment.

 

Harry was so beautiful. He probably didn't deserve him. He couldn't quite work out why Harry had fallen for him, either. He might get it one day but today wasn't that day.

 

He turned his head a little as Harry nuzzled into his back with a hum.

 

"I'm going back today," Louis husked.

 

Harry stiffened slightly, the arms he'd slipped around Louis' waist tightening.

 

"Why?"

 

Louis swallowed, closing his eyes to the bright warmth of Harry's room in the sunlight. It was beige and auburn and Louis felt like it was Autumn in the woods sleeping in here.

 

"Because it's where I live, Harry," Louis answered because that was all he could say that really made sense.

 

Harry kissed his shoulder again, close by his neck.

 

He cleared his throat.

 

"You could live here, you know..." He suggested lightly.

 

Louis smiled wanly, sighing out.

 

"This is exactly what I didn't want," he mused.

 

Harry pulled away a bit.

 

"You don't?" He asked, hurt.

 

Louis twisted, wriggled until they were facing. He tenderly traced Harry's curls with gentle fingertips.

 

"You, feeling sorry for me," Louis explained.

 

Harry's green orbs-still dull from sleep along with his lazy blinks- focused on him, pupils shrinking.

 

"I don't," he promised.

 

Louis pressed his lips together.

 

"So you'd ask me to stay if I had my own place?" Louis challenged.

 

Harry's lashes flickered before they lowered, long and curly against his pale handsome cheeks.

 

"Is it wrong to want you here instead of in some homeless shelter?" Harry posed in response, a question to answer a question.

 

"I'm proud of who I am, Harry," Louis said. "And my home right now is a homeless shelter..."

 

Harry cupped the back of Louis' head and kissed him, softly.

 

"Make this your home," he begged.

 

Louis kissed him back.

 

"What if it ruins what we have?"

 

Harry blinked.

 

"What if it doesn't?"

 

And-

 

And Louis didn't know what to say to that. Because he wasn't expecting a 'what if' that had a positive outcome. He liked staying here, he really liked staying here. But he couldn't pay for his portion of rent or food and-

 

"I need to be able to pay my way," Louis said aloud, frowning, lips pouting slightly.

 

Harry's face suddenly split into a slow, lazy grin that built into a devastating flash of teeth and dimples that left Louis breathless again.

 

"Does that mean you'll stay?"

 

Louis frowned. _Did it?_ If staying ruined what they had then he'd be back where he started, alone and homeless. But looking into Harry's hope-bright eyes and staring at his sleepy delighted smile, he couldn't really find it in himself to say no.

 

"Okay," he nodded hesitantly.

 

Harry sucked in a breath and wrapped his arms around his middle, pulling him in tight.

 

"Thank you," he appreciated softly.

 

Louis let his arms rest around Harry's big shoulders.

 

"We'll see how it goes," he hedged.

 

Harry smiled over his shoulder.

 

"Okay..."

 

"And Harry?" Louis leaned back, hands going to his chest, drifting down to the hem of his top only to sneak up under it, palms hitting bare flesh.

 

His fingertips crawled up like caterpillars, thumbs pressing to his lower nipples and then the higher ones which were symmetrical. Harry's breath caught and a noise gargled out of his throat as he stared at Louis intensely, pupils dilating.

 

"Louis," Harry breathed, kissing him, unable to resist doing so.

 

Louis let him, but still had a question to ask.

 

"Harry...I want you to make love to me," he asked. "Will you?"

 

Harry blinked, leaned forward again to kiss him, took his sweet, gentle time about that kiss and left Louis in no doubt as to his answer.

 

"Yes, Louis," he breathed, rolling Louis beneath him as he took control of their foreplay. "Always," he promised breathily as Louis arched beneath him.

 

//

 

Louis went to see his friends at the Shelter and they all commented on his 'loved up glow' and vanishing act.

 

"I'm staying with Harry for a bit," Louis only said when pushed.

 

Liam had lifted his brows and smirked at him knowingly and Louis had stuck his tongue out.

 

"Shut up, Payno," Louis accused fondly.

 

"Didn't say a word," Liam lifted his hands in mock surrender.

 

Louis couldn't help his smile, a shy one that he was almost afraid to let show.

 

"I like being with him," was all he said, quiet and reverent.

 

Liam cupped his shoulder as Zayn and Perrie sat close together, smiling into each other's faces between soft kisses as they all shared coffee at the back of the hall.

 

"I'm glad," Liam nodded. "Any trouble from young Harry and you come straight to me, you got it?"

 

Louis smiled weakly.

 

"Might be back for a place to bed down," he warned. "Gonna see how it goes with Harry, it's kinda soon to be living together," he considered.

 

"Me and Pez moved in after two weeks," Zayn suddenly chipped in, surprising both other men for they arched brows and turned toward him.

 

Zayn threaded his fingers through Perrie's.

 

"Didn't we, babe?"

 

Perrie nodded.

 

"Swept me reet off mah feet, aye," she agreed.

 

Zayn rolled his eyes with a blush.

 

"Louis, it can work, you know," Zayn added supportively.

 

Louis swallowed. Maybe...Maybe it _could_ work.

 

"I hope so," he admitted.

 

And Liam patted his knee in comfort of his words.

 

//

 

Harry's work was stressful. It had often long hours, past the usual office closing times and even though Harry had been the main provider for Louis up until now, Louis quickly learnt how to cook. And shop and earn money.

 

Now he had a 'fixed abode' he'd found some part-time shifts and he planned to work his way back up to full-time, maybe something like bussing tables so he could go back to night school and finish his dance diploma.

 

Of course Harry had wanted him to go back full time and wanted to support Louis financially but he knew Louis would be insulted by the offer so although he didn't say it out loud, he left hints in the house in the form of full-time dance courses and reassurances he could more than afford to assist Louis in his dream.

 

Louis became a bit of a house-wife in those weeks. He loved running Harry a hot bath and pouring in the rose scented oil he'd gotten him for his birthday. He liked trying new recipes and seeing Harry's resilient smiley face even when it tasted awful. He liked trying for someone other than himself.

 

Louis liked being fucked into the bed, too and Harry would often do that as a release for his stressful days, leaving Louis weak and whimpering against the mattress as they both hit their peaks and shared more than just sex.

 

"I love you," the words came out of Harry's lips one night as Louis collapsed on his chest, having ridden him to climax.

 

Louis opened his mouth, lifted his head and wriggled until he was propped on his elbows and staring into dark green eyes.

 

"What?"

 

Harry blinked, pursed his lips only a little.

 

"I said, I love you."

 

Louis blinked too, several times, his long straight lashes fluttering as his eyes widened in disbelief.

 

"You don't have to say it back," Harry added quickly.

 

Louis bit his lower lip, meeting Harry's gaze.

 

"Can I though?" He wondered, brow arched.

 

Harry frowned.

 

"Would you mean it?"

 

Louis laughed, short and sharp, trailing back Harry's sweaty curls from his forehead and placing a kiss there.

 

"I've never said it before," he admitted then.

 

Harry choked a little.

 

"You haven't?"

 

Louis shook his head.

 

"But you...do?" Harry checked.

 

Louis nodded.

 

Harry gazed at him, thankful for the angel in his arms.

 

"You always did save me," Harry mused.

 

"I don't know how," Louis denied.

 

"By being there," Harry described. "Being _you_ ," he added after.

 

Louis kissed his lips, softly, nuzzled their noses together as his eyes crinkled and a smile overtook his lips, stretching them across his teeth.

 

"I love you, Harry," he said then.

 

Harry tightened his arms around Louis' waist- a move Louis was already in love with- and groaned a bit in his throat.

 

Louis kissed him until the noises turned soft and needy. And then they made love, sweet and slow and intense. Louis lay wrapped in Harry afterwards, sated and blissful.

 

He rested his cheek on Harry's chest so he could hear his heartbeat, the steady _bad-um_ rhythm that comforted him.

 

"I wish you'd take the dance-school diploma," Harry hummed and Louis squirmed, entirely unfairly attacked while he was weak.

 

Harry's semen was still inside him, sticky and warm and he was plastered to him, heated by his strangely hot skin. He literally had no means of defence, none whatsoever. Harry was a sneaky bastard when he wanted to be.

 

Louis sighed.

 

"It costs a thousand pounds a month to send me there and I'm not happy about being paid for," he reminded Harry, although he knew his resolve would soon be weakened, already was.

 

"How about a trade-off?" Harry posed and Louis frowned, jaw lifting but not enough energy yet to lift his head.

 

"What kind of trade-off?" He wondered, his breath tickling Harry's throat.

 

Harry smirked to himself.

 

"Well, I've been wanting to move into editing and a position has come up that I've applied for which will mean less stress and less hours at the office and more money," he summarised.

 

Louis kissed his chest, between his breast bones.

 

"Jesus, Harry, am I really going to be your kept man?" He sighed reluctantly.

 

Harry squeezed him.

 

"I kind of hoped I already get to keep you," he commented and Louis chuckled, raspy and dry.

 

"You do," Louis assured quickly.

 

"Then can I keep you a little bit more if I promise to be here?" He begged.

 

"You get paid more?" Louis double-checked and Harry nodded with a hum, his chin brushing into Louis; hair.

 

"And you can afford to keep me?" He added.

 

Harry smiled.

 

"Forever," he promised.

 

Louis bit his lip quickly to hold in his gasp. He'd play this one cool if his thundering heart didn't give him away.

 

" _If_ you get the job..." Louis began hesitantly, only for Harry to jolt excitedly. "If," Louis added sternly.

 

"Hmm?" Harry's hum was throaty, bordering on sexual. Louis felt the tightening in his groin; familiar and sweet.

 

"If you get the job then I'll apply for the dance school," Louis agreed.

 

Harry tried to contain his grin by biting his lip but his dimples were breaking his smile free one inch at a time.

 

"Louis?"

 

"Yes, Harry?"

 

Harry cleared his throat and sucked his lip.

 

"I already got the job..."

 


End file.
